Peace and Love
Thursday 06 April 2023
For many years, the use of ice as a treatment for muscle injury, pain and swelling was the default position. But that appears to be changing, and while ice is still in widespread use, its effectiveness has been brought into question.
However, other researchers claim ice treatment has little or no significant therapeutic value, and can slow down the healing process, albeit the NHS continues to recommend its use for pain management and swelling. According to the NHS, regularly applying an ice pack to the affected area during the first 48 to 72 hours after injury should help to manage pain and reduce swelling. They also advise applying the ice for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, and avoid putting an ice pack directly on the skin, as this could cause an ice burn.
But there's much more to effective recovery from injury and rehabilitation. There are well-established guidelines for treatment of musculoskeletal conditions comprising a structured and systematic approach with a series of progressive activities, from managing the immediate symptoms to restoration of pain-free full function.
The latest guidelines managing muscle injury are called 'PEACE & LOVE'. Aside from being a catchy acronym, it's a great way to enhance recovery for the long term. The P&L principle is a way of taking care of your injury with a focus on staying optimistic and allowing optimal healing. In a nutshell, it advises you to give the injured area a rest, avoid doing things that might make it worse, and use supports like wraps, taping or braces if needed. At the same time, you should gently move the injured area and do exercises that can help it heal. This is where we come in. Knowing what to do and when takes a trained eye. The overall idea is to create an environment that helps your body heal itself so you can get better faster.
PEACE
• Protection - Avoid activities and movements that increase pain during the first few days after injury.
• Elevation - Elevate the injured limb higher than the heart as often as possible.
• Avoid - Anti-inflammatory medications as they reduce tissue healing. Avoid icing.
• Compression - Use elastic bandage or taping to reduce swelling.
• Education - Seek professional support to help you navigate what you need to do and what to avoid.
& LOVE
• Load - Let pain guide your gradual return to normal activities. Your body will tell you when it's safe to increase load.
• Optimism - Condition your mind for optimal recovery by being confident and positive.
• Vascularisation - Once pain-free, cardiovascular activities are important (walking, jogging, swimming), to increase blood flow to repairing tissues.
• Exercise - Restore mobility, strength and proprioception (sense of self-movement, force and body position) by adopting an active approach to recovery.
We are on hand to help guide you through the best way to apply these guidelines, to ensure your injury starts off on the right track. As each injury is unique, we need to ensure you have the best plan for you in place.
Come and see us at our clinic in the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre. It's only a 20-minute walk from Meiji Martial Arts in St John's Wood.
Contact Active Osteopaths:
Nigel Robinson - nigel@activeosteopaths.com
Kaya Simon - kaya@activeosteopaths.com