Peace and Love

In the world of sports medicine and injury management, there has been a shift away from the old acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) towards a new approach that emphasizes the principles of PEACE and LOVE.

While RICE has been a standard protocol for treating acute injuries for many years, recent research has suggested that this approach may not be the most effective or efficient way to promote healing and recovery.

So, what do PEACE and LOVE stand for, and how do they differ from RICE?

PEACE stands for Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatory modalities, Compress, and Educate. This approach focuses on protecting the injured area from further damage, elevating the affected limb to reduce swelling, avoiding anti-inflammatory medications and ice! that may interfere with the body's natural healing process, compressing the area to reduce swelling, and educating the patient on how to manage the injury and promote full recovery.

LOVE stands for Load, Optimism, Vascularization, and Exercise. This approach focuses on encouraging the injured area to adapt and strengthen through appropriate loading and exercise. Fostering a positive mindset to promote healing and reducing the risk of the area becoming hypersensitive. Promoting blood flow to the affected area to aid in the healing process through cardiovascular exercise, and implementing a progressive strength and conditioning program to restore function and prevent re-injury.

The shift towards the PEACE and LOVE approach is based on growing evidence that challenges the traditional RICE approach. Rest and ice, for example, have been shown to delay healing and impair the recovery process. Anti-inflammatory medications like Nurofen or Voltaren have also been shown to interfere with the body's natural healing process, particularly in the early stages of injury and should generally be avoided.

The updated principles of PEACE and LOVE align with the latest research on injury management, emphasizing the importance of early pain-free or pain-tolerable movement and exercise to promote healing rather than simply reducing symptoms with rest. By focusing on loading and exercise, the LOVE approach recognizes that movement and activity are essential for the body to adapt and heal.

The RICE approach is still commonly used as not enough people know that it is no longer recommended. But now you know to give people a little more PEACE and LOVE.

#nomorerice

For the original article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine click here.

Thanks for reading.