Just as it is important to order a healthy meal off a menu to maintain a healthy diet, similarly it is important to choose the correct injury treatment to gain optimal recovery. The wrong treatment will lead to the wrong results.
For sports injuries that involve muscular tissue, RICEM is best:
- REST
- ICE
- COMPRESSION
- ELEVATION
- MEDICATION on occasion, may be the right “dish” to order off the menu,
And for Injuries involving tendons and ligaments, the ingredient of choice is MEAT :
- MOVEMENT
- EXERCISE
- ANALGESICS
- TREATMENT
So generally with RICEM the suggestion is to avoid pain and progress by always avoiding the pain. Whereas generally with MEAT the suggestion is to exercise with just the faintest awareness of pain so you know you are restoring correct tendon and ligament forces after the injury.