When dealing with acute soft tissue injuries like sprains, strains and bruises, you may have been advised to Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate (RICE) in the past. Now, we actually recommend you follow a different protocol to take care of soft tissue injuries – PEACE & LOVE!
PEACE: immediately after an acute injury, give yourself time for PEACE
Protect—for 1-3 days, minimize movement that makes the injury worse.
Elevate – this part of the protocol remains the same – elevate the injury to help reduce initial swelling and pain.
Avoid Anti Inflammatories (NSAIDS) – these meds slow down the body’s natural inflammatory cascade that is designed to send healing cells to the injury.
Compression – use some kind of static compression like a compression sock or brace, or use dynamic compression with systems like the Normatec Compression system.
Education—it is very important to follow a rehab plan. Your chiropractor can advise you on a timeline for healing, movements to modify and return to activity.
LOVE: after the initial few days, soft tissues are ready for LOVE
Load—gradually return weight to injury. As soon as symptoms allow, begin to use the injured area gently in normal ways. Properly “loading” without exacerbating pain promotes repair by building tolerance and strengthening tissues, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Optimism—maintaining a positive outlook improves recovery! Your outlook can really impact your ability to heal—fear, catastrophizing, and depression can slow or prevent recovery.
Vascularization—promote blood flow to the area. Using warm, moist heat can promote blood flow to the injured area. To get this therapeutic benefit, use heat for 15-20 minutes and then let the tissue come back to body temp.
Exercise—following the guidance of your healthcare provider, exercise to restore strength, mobility and flexibility early after an injury. Avoid causing pain to achieve optimal repair.
For a long time, there was an emphasis on not using an injured body part so that it can heal on its own. We now know that supporting an injury by following a rehab plan that encourages blood flow to the area and strengthens the area gradually can help accelerate healing as well as help achieve a more complete recovery from soft tissue injuries.