The P.O.L.I.C.E. Principle
With the winter sport seasons back, there is no doubt there will be a few sore bodies as the players adjust to the harsh reality of playing sport on a freezing cold Ballarat winters’ day. However, there will be some players who have something more significant than a few bruises, whether that be a rolled ankle, corky, muscle strain or other injury.
If you have injured yourself, how should you manage it? Well, if you’ve heard of the acronym R.I.C.E. there is another acronym more commonly used for acute management of musculoskeletal injuries- POLICE.
- P- Protect: It is best to rest the injured area for a short period of time which may involve using crutches, a moon boot, or a sling. Depending on the injury you may be able to start with gentle movements that are relatively pain free.
- O L- Optimal Loading: requires completing the right amount of movement to stimulate healing and the removal of fluid. This is usually based on comfort and will be directed by your health care professional.
- I- Ice: for the first 48hrs ice for 20minutes regularly to help with pain and reduce bleeding and swelling. Icing after this time may still be required depending on the injury and advice from your health care professional.
- C- Compression: apply compression to the injury to reduce swelling and minimize bleeding. You could use tubigrip, a bandage or compression socks to do this.
- E- Elevation: elevate the injured area for example lying down with your foot on a pillow.
It is always best to get your injury reviewed by a medical professional as early as possible and complete a thorough rehabilitation and return to play program. This is important to ensure you don’t reinjure the same area but also reduce the risk of injuring other areas.
