PEACE and LOVE

Principles To Follow For Soft Tissue Recovery

Remember when you were told to ice that ankle sprain? Or take time off from sport until you heal (however long that might be)? While good intentioned, this familiar framework does not allow for a quick progression from injury to performance, and it may even set you up for ongoing pain. 

In the event that a soft tissue injury occurs,  it is important to know the best way to manage it in order to heal quickly and get back to the activities you love.  

For many years, the acronym R.I.C.E. (Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.) has served as the guide for injury recovery following a soft tissue injury.  However, recent studies have found this approach to lack effectiveness, as it requires an individual to take time away from activity. The resulting lack of movement limits blood flow to the injury, which prolongs healing and the time it takes to return to the activities you enjoy.  As the saying goes, when you rest, you rust. 

This is where the PEACE and LOVE principles come into play, as developed by Dubois and Esculier (2019). These updated principles are more comprehensive, as they incorporate some aspects of R.I.C.E. (compression and elevation) and add in elements of safe movement, education, and mindset.

The PEACE principle encourages us to Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatory modalities, Compress, and Educate immediately after an injury occurs.

Let's break it down.

PEACE

• Protect

  • When you get injured, it's important to protect the area from further harm for a few days after injury.  Keep moving but listen to your body and avoid any movements that aggravate the injury or cause additional pain. 

• Elevate

  • Elevating the injured area means raising it above your heart. For example, if you sprain your ankle, you can prop it up on a pillow. Elevating helps to reduce swelling and can make you feel better.

• Avoid anti-inflammatory modalities

  • This one is a bit of a mouthful, but it means avoiding things that reduce inflammation, like ice or anti-inflammatory medications. Studies have shown that inflammation is actually an important part of the healing process. So instead of reaching for the ice pack right away, give your body some time to heal on its own.

• Compress

  • Compression means putting gentle pressure on the injured area. You can use an elastic bandage or a special compression sleeve to do this. It can help reduce swelling and provide some support.

• Educate

  • Learning about your injury is super important. By understanding what's happening inside your body, you can make better decisions about how to take care of yourself. Ask questions and listen to input from your doctor or physical therapist. Knowledge is power!

Now, let's move on to the LOVE principle which comes into play a few days after the injury occurred.  Did you know it is actually important to load and move the injured area as long as it is done in a safe manner?  The LOVE principle focuses on optimizing the load and promoting vascularization (blood flow to the injured area).  This is a really important component of recovery.

Let’s take a closer look.

LOVE

• Load

  • As you gradually return to your activities, let pain guide and inform you for when it feels safe to increase load. 

• Optimism

  • A positive and confident mindset will allow for optimal recovery.

• Vascularization

  • This means improving the blood flow to the injured area. Blood carries all the good stuff that your body and tissues need to heal, like oxygen and nutrients. Gentle movements, such as stretching or light cardiovascular exercises, can help increase blood flow and speed up the healing process.

• Exercise

  • Engaging in an active approach to recovery will restore your mobility, strength, balance, motor control, and movement.

The principles of PEACE and LOVE have evolved to allow for a quicker recovery from injury and pain. Embracing an active, informed, and positive approach will allow for faster healing and better outcomes. 

Your body is an amazing healing machine. The next time you find yourself in pain or experience an injury, please reach out and we will guide you on how best to maximize and accelerate your recovery.