How to treat an acute injury – is RICE still the go-to?
RICE is out. PEACE & LOVE is in.
You may remember the acronym “RICE” which then became “PRICE” – new research is telling us to change this go-to.
I want you to think about the last injury you had. Maybe it was a sprained ankle or pulled calf muscle. What did you immediately want to do?
Our previous management towards injury was about resting the area and giving it time. As injury healing research has grown, we see that complete rest is NOT the best thing for most injuries. Especially because we are then resting the entire body which usually isn’t helpful in the long run.
RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Two of those are no longer recommended for treating acute injuries!
You might want to try PEACE & LOVE to recover from your next injury ↴
TL;DR
- Gentle movement is important, but see a health professional to clear red flags (like broken bones) and progress your movement
- Ice is a good pain reliever however it blunts the healing process
Read the entire editorial here!
