PEACE and LOVE: The New Approach to Managing Acute Injuries & Why R.I.C.E is Out

After you sustain a major injury what's the first thing you go to do? Grab some ice? Pop an anti-inflammatory? We all know that we need to R.I.C.E after an injury, right? You certainly wouldn't be the only one to choose this route, in fact, I'm sure most people would. Unfortunately that strategy may no longer be the best choice when managing an injury.

A new acronym has made its way into the rehab and injury scene, popularized by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It's called PEACE and LOVE! These acronyms stand for special steps we can take to manage acute injuries and help our bodies heal properly. Did you know that using ice and anti-inflammatories after an injury is not recommended anymore? Lets take a deeper dive into what exactly these acronyms mean and how they can help us manage our injuries better!

P.E.A.C.E - Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatories, Compression, Education

Protect - When we get hurt, the first thing we need to do is protect ourselves from further harm. This means stopping the activity that caused the injury and making sure we're safe.

Elevate - Once safe from further injury we should immediately elevate the injured area by raising it above our heart to help reduce swelling.

Avoid anti-inflammatories - It's important avoid the urge to run to grab anti-inflammatories like painkillers right after an acute injury because they might actually slow down the healing process. Instead, we should let our body's natural inflammation response happen, as it helps to repair damaged tissues.

Compression - Rather then anti-inflammatories grab an ACE wrap to create compression which can help reduce swelling.

Educate - Lastly, it's crucial to educate ourselves about the injury and follow proper recovery steps, such as seeing a healthcare professional if needed.

Now that we've discussed how to PEACEfully manage our injuries, let's move on to spreading some LOVE!

L.O.V.E - Load, Optimism, Vascularization, Exercise:

Load - This refers to gradually introducing movement and exercises that do not cause pain. By starting with gentle activities, we can help our injured body part get stronger and heal faster.

Optimism - It's also important to stay positive and have an optimistic mindset. Believe in yourself and your body's ability to heal!

Vascularization - Promoting blood flow to the injured area can be helpful by bringing important nutrients and oxygen to speed up healing.

Exercise - Lastly, exercising the uninjured parts of our body can keep us fit and active while we're recovering.

What Happened to R.I.C.E?

Why are ice and anti-inflammatories no longer recommended? In the past, using ice and anti-inflammatories right after an injury was thought to reduce pain and swelling. However, recent studies published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine have shown that this might not be the best approach. Ice and anti-inflammatories can actually delay the healing process by interfering with the body's natural inflammation response. Inflammation is a normal part of our body's way to heal itself, and by blocking it too soon, we might slow down the recovery. Instead, follow the PEACE and LOVE steps above, and we can work with our body's natural healing mechanisms and get back in the game faster!

Taking care of our bodies when we get injured is really important, especially early on! Remember the PEACE and LOVE acronyms: Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatories, Compression, Education, Load, Optimism, Vascularization, and Exercise. By following these steps, we can help ourselves heal properly and get back to doing what we love. And remember, it's okay to ask for help from healthcare professionals if we need it.