What is the FIRST thing you should do when you get hurt?

Most people are familiar with the 'RICE' acronym, of Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate... but what if I told you that RICE was outdated and could even hinder your healing ability?

Whether it is a new knee sprain, back injury, or shoulder strain, you can use these simple principles to speed up your recovery. Gone are the days of bed rest, ice, and immobilization.

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Don't believe me?

Let me make my case.

RICE is based on out-of-date research and does some of the exact OPPOSITE things we need for healing. In order to heal, our body needs stress and inflammation. Rest and Ice actually decrease the body's ability to heal, if used for an extended period of time.

Healing occurs in 3 phases:

Phase 1) Inflammatory Phase (a few days)

Phase 2) Repair Phase (1-2 weeks)

Phase 3) Remodelling Phase (Months)

If you want to optimize your healing during all of these phases, you need to follow the PEACE and LOVE protocols. The goal of the PEACE phase is to calm everything down. Let the inflammatory phase run its' course. The LOVE phase is to start building things back up.

Here is the summary of PEACE and LOVE:

Day ~1-3: PEACE

Protect: avoid excessively painful and aggravating activities

Elevate: when at rest, try and keep the injured limb above your heart

Avoid anti-inflammatories: avoid ice, ibuprofen, and other anti-inflammatories whenever possible

Compression: use a tensor wrap, compression wrap or other compression tools to clear swelling

Education: learn about your injury and the typical healing times (that is where we come in)

Day 3+: LOVE

Load: start injury specific exercises as early as possible to promote proper healing

Optimism: stay positive. Injuries suck, but you will get back to it.

Vascularization: keep training cardio as often as you can to maintain your cardiovascular fitness and

Exercise: start reintroducing normal activities and get back to regular exercise as tolerated without a significant increase in pain

How long does it take to heal?

This depends on the body part injured, the severity of your injury, and your overall health.

For example, a Grade 1 Ankle Sprain? Typically resolved within 2 weeks.

A Grade 2+ Hamstring Strain? Can take MONTHS to fully resolve, or longer without proper rehab.

Anxious and afraid of your pain? Fearful or every little twinge? That will slow your rehab and prolong your recovery.

There ARE a few things you can do to speed up your recovery:

Move OFTEN: keep moving within pain-free range (or tolerable increases in pain)
Manage SWELLING: swelling can limit your activity and cause considerable discomfort
Stay OPTIMISTIC: a positive outlook is extremely valuable and can actually speed up your recovery

Not sure where to start?

That is where a qualified Chiropractor or Physiotherapist in Vernon, BC can help. A good Chiro or Physio will put you through a thorough assessment and help identify the extent of your injury and your pain triggers. Then, they will help you put together a rehab plan to get you back in action.

Book a Free Consult with Dr Murdoch