Wellness with Refuge

PEACE & LOVE for Acute Injuries
Maggie Thompson Maggie Thompson

PEACE & LOVE for Acute Injuries

When you have an acute injury, like an ankle sprain or hamstring strain, what is the recommended treatment? Many people are familiar with ‘RICE’, rest, ice, compression and elevation. This protocol was developed in 1978 by Dr. Gabe Mirkin. However, in 2015 Dr. Mirkin changed his recommendation, as ice application can delay and impede the healing process.

Research now tells us to treat soft-tissue injuries with ‘PEACE & LOVE’, an acronym coined by physiotherapists Blaise Dubois and Jean-Francois Esculier in 2019. This new protocol has two phases; PEACE is the focus of care for immediate injuries, while LOVE is used for subsequent injury management.

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The Importance of Unilateral Training
muscles, soft tissue massage Maggie Thompson muscles, soft tissue massage Maggie Thompson

The Importance of Unilateral Training

Here at Refuge, we love to train unilaterally! What does this mean? Unilateral training is any movement that emphasizes one side of the body (arm, leg, trunk/core) at a time rather than using both sides simultaneously. The asymmetry in this training allows us to recognize instability and weaknesses more easily. With this unilateral training, a person is less likely to compensate for weakness.

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