Over the years the acronyms ‘ICE’, ‘RICE’, ‘PRICE’ & ‘POLICE’ have been used to help treat the early stages of an injury. However there has been limited evidence for their effectiveness, research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine has developed a new acronym using up to date research to help optimize recovery in both the immediate care (PEACE) and the subsequent management (LOVE). 

The original protocols for injury management have been used for years by numerous professionals & amateurs alike, but with limited research in to their effectiveness it has been necessary to question why we use them. Ice is great for pain relief but too much has been shown to slow down the natural inflammatory response to injury which could prolong recovery. The same has been shown with anti-inflammatory drugs used to control pain; they will also inhibit the natural response. Psychosocial factors and injury education are also taken into account. It has been shown that how we perceive the injury will affect the outcome; a pessimistic attitude is likely to produce a poorer outcome. Avoiding alcohol, heat, running and limiting massage to surrounding areas for the first 1-3 days will prevent causing more inflammation to the injury. While massage is contraindicated for the injury, modalities like Cold Laser therapy are brilliant to use straight away.

Ref. Dubois et al. (2019) Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE, British Journal of Sports Medicine.