Over the years there have been many acronyms to guide the management of soft tissue injuries. You might be familiar with the RICE acronym (rest, ice, compression and elevation) which focuses on the treatment of acute injury (recent occurrence).

A recent study suggests two new acronyms that are based on the latest research regarding tissue healing and cover the acute, sub-acute and chronic stages: PEACE and LOVE. Read on to find out more.

Immediately after a soft tissue injury the authors suggest the following guideline (Dubois and Esculier (2020):

✔️P is for protect. One should restrict movement for one to three days following the occurrence of the injury, which involves not applying load but also minimizing complete rest. (Long gone are the days when bed rest was recommended!)

✔️E is for elevation. Raising the injured area above the heart helps fluid to flow out of injured tissue.

✔️A is for avoiding anti-inflammatory medication, which may be detrimental for long-term tissue healing. Icing an injury can also potentially delay the healing process.

✔️C is for compression, to reduce swelling.

✔️E is for education on the benefits of an active approach to recovery. 

After the first days have passed the authors suggest the following guideline:

✔️L is for load. Optimal loading without exacerbating pain.

✔️O is for optimism. Psychological factors such as catastrophizing, depression and fear can represent barriers to recovery.

✔️V is for vascularization. Pain-free cardiovascular activity should be started a few days after injury.

✔️E is for exercise, to help to restore mobility, strength and proprioception early after injury.

Reference:

Dubois, B., & Esculier, J. F. (2020). Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. British journal of sports medicine, 54(2), 72–73. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101253