Treating soft tissue injuries is complex and the old school method of “RICE” and “PRICE” are just old and outdated for acute and subacute injury management. Have you recently been told by your medical doctor, trainer, coach, or another professional to “Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate”?
The PEACE part is easy, early intervention you can do right away after an injury. The LOVE part is where you can work independently as well, or with a skilled provider who will get you back to your activities faster without dealing with chronic pain from the injury.
Here are the newer recommendations:
PEACE & LOVE
P: Protection. Avoid activities and movements that increase pain during the first few days after injury.
E: Elevation. Elevate the injured limb higher than the heart as often as possible.
A: Avoid Anti-Inflammatories. Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications as they reduce tissue healing. Also avoid icing.
C: Compression. Use elastic bandages or taping to reduce swelling.
E: Education. Your body knows best. Avoid unnecessary passive treatments and medical investigations and let nature play its role.
&
L: Load. Let pain guide your gradual return to normal activities. Your body will tell you when it’s safe to increase load.
O: Optimism. Condition your brain for optimal recovery by being confident and positive.
V: Vascularization. Choose pain-free cardiovascular activities to increase blood flow to repairing tissues.
E: Exercise. Restore mobility, strength and proprioception by adopting an active approach to recovery.
Reference: Dubois, B., & Esculier, J. F. (2020). Soft tissue injuries simply need PEACE & LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/54/2/72.full.pdf