[lr4444lr]

Aside from tissue necrosis or nerve damage due to extreme compression, (which seem to be situations where you'd be at an ER or urgent care anyway due to the severity that entails) what other harms need mitigation? It seems that ice is recommended for every minor or moderate injury handled purely at home.

[tpoacher]

Well, I don't know; an educated guess is that it's not just blood vessels that could be compromised by excessive swelling, however localised.

Having said that, the RICE acronym is often extended to PRICE, to indicate that the typical treatment also involves a "Plaster of Paris". So in the presence of a plaster, the confinement is even more strict, so you would want to control the swelling response inside the tightly-fitting plaster anyway.

But, again, disclaimer, haven't practiced in years, and even then I was not specifically an orthopedic doctor. :)