What do you do when you get injured?
For a soft tissue injuries, the typical response or directions provided is to do one of the following:
ICE, RICE, PRICE
- P= Protect
- R = Rest
- I = Ice
- C = Compress
- E = Elevate
A soft tissue injury is defined as an injury to a muscle, tendon, or ligament which can occur in a variety of ways. Some other terms used are sprains, strains, contusions, tendinitis, bursitis, etc (orthoinfo.aaos.org).
A new approach to injury recovery has been developed: PEACE & LOVE
P = Protection: Avoid activities and movements that increase pain during the first few days of injury
- Unload or limit movement for 1-3 days to minimize bleeding, prevent swelling of injured fibers and reduce risk of aggravating the injury
E = Elevation: Elevate the injured limb higher than the heart as often as possible
- Elevating higher than the heart promotes fluid to flow out of the injured area
A = Avoid Anti-Inflammatories: Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications as they reduce tissue healing. Avoid icing.
- What? Inflammation actually helps to repair damaged tissues. Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs) decrease the inflammation response.
- Ice too? Ice could disrupt the inflammatory response, decrease the immune response, blood vessel development, and restoration of blood flow.
C = Compress: Add external pressure such as taping or bandages helps to limit swelling and tissue bleeding.
E = Educate: Your body knows best. Avoid unnecessary passive treatments and medical investigations and let nature play its role in your recovery
- Learning about the benefits of an active recovery helps to promote healing and recovery without the need for unnecessary injections or surgeries.
When injured, find PEACE… then we find LOVE
L = Load: Let pain guide your gradual return to normal activities. Your body will tell you when it is safe to increase load.
- Optimal loading without increasing pain promotes repair, remodeling and builds tissue tolerance
O = Optimism: Condition you brain for optimal recovery by being confident and positive.
- Positive mindset results in positive outcomes and return to activity.
- Negative mindset – depression, fear, believing nothing will help – leads to barriers to recovery.
V = Vascularization: Choose pain free cardiovascular activities in increase blood flow which helps to repair your injuries.
- Cardiovascular activity should be started a few days after injury to boost motivation and blood flow, which results in increased healing.
E = Exercise: Restore mobility, strength, and joint awareness by adapting an active approach to recovery.
- Exercise in pain-free ranges and capabilities. The activity should not cause pain.
Using the concept of PEACE & LOVE will help you recovery quickly from a soft tissue injury, without prolonging your inability to perform your daily activities, exercise goals, or sport performance.
What Else Can You Do For Injuries?
If you’re experiencing pain, give our office a call. We can help you identify the culprit and start a treatment plan that will get you back on track.
References: Dubois B, Esculier JF. Soft-tissue Injuries Simply Need PEACE and LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(2):bjsports-2019-101253. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101253
