In the early stages of a musculoskeletal injury, we have traditionally been encouraged to adopt the RICE principle – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
However, more recently, encouragement to allow and monitor load on injured tissues in the early stages following injury has been encouraged, adopting the POLICE principle – Protect, Optimise loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
This means exercise targeted to gentle loading of injured tissues may be appropriate.
Listen to Dr Phil Glasgow discuss optimal loading and how to achieve it following musculoskeletal injury on the BJSM podcast
Acute: Chronic Workload ratio
