Young athletes often push themselves close to their capacity and frequently suffer a sports injury. It is important to know how best to apply first aid principles to limit any soft tissue damage and help the young athlete get safely back to sport.
Over recent years the principles have changed from the R.I.C.E Protocol where it was advocated to rest individuals following injury and apply ice, compression and elevation, then it shifted to POLICE which added protect and optimally load, ice, compress and elevate to a more recent acronym PEACE and LOVE proposed by Dubois and Esculier (2019. The PEACE and LOVE approach includes both the immediate first aid to protect the injury from further injury and includes steps for subsequent management.
Here’s a simple guide on how to treat a sports injury effectively.
PEACE
P = Protect from further injury by limiting movement for a few days, however, often total rest is not needed as this may cause tissues to lose strength. Exceptions to this are when a fracture or suspected, or when a young athlete has low back pain when a period of total rest is required and theses injuries should be checked by a health professional.
E = Elevate the injured limb higher than the heart
A = Avoid anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and ice as some studies have highlighted this may inhibit the healing process. Using pain medication may also mask the pain and enable the young athlete to cause further injury.
C = Compress the area with a bandage or elastic support
E = Educate patients about why they got injured, how to prevent further injuries and how to increase their capacity. See other Kids Back 2 Sports resources.
In the early stages of managing an injury, it is usually best to avoid heat application and massage as this increases blood flow and may increase swelling and interrupt the healing process.
LOVE
As the pain settles, the young athlete can start to increase their activity slowly.
L = Load – gradually increase movement as pain permits. Gentle loading promotes tissue healing providing the pain does not increase, settles within an hour of ceasing the activity and is no worse the next day.
O = Optimism – support the young person through education and encouragement about how the injury will get better and give them the tools to self-manage to boost their confidence.
V = Vascularisation – promote blood flow to the area through exercise.
E = Exercise restores mobility and increases strength and proprioception.
For further information visit the Running Clinic website
https://therunningclinic.com/resources-and-tools
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you are unable to weight bear on the limb, or are unable to move the joint, or if any swelling is increasing and the child experiences tingling, change of colour or numbness beyond the injury site, it is important to seek medical attention. The practitioners listed in the Kids Back 2 Sport directory have all completed additional training in managing young athletes.
