Sports Injury: Rest or Keep Moving?
By Nova Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy clinic in North Hollywood, CA | Published October 2026
You felt something pull in your hamstring during a sprint, rolled your ankle on a rebound, or tweaked your back lifting at the gym. The game is over for today, but now you're wondering what to do next. Rest completely? Ice it? Keep moving?
Advice about sports injuries has changed in recent years. This article explains what to do right after a sports injury, what research says about ice, when to start moving again, which signs mean you need a doctor, and how physical therapy helps you return to your sport.
The short answer
For most muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries, the current approach is to protect the injured area for a short time, usually about one to three days, and then gradually start moving and loading it again as pain allows. A widely cited framework called PEACE and LOVE, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, recommends early protection followed by progressive loading, optimism, pain-free cardio, and exercise (Dubois & Esculier, 2020). Long periods of complete rest usually slow recovery. Any blow to the head with concussion symptoms needs a medical evaluation first, and you should never return to play the same day (CDC). In California, you can see a physical therapist without a referral.
What should I do right after a sports injury?
First, stop playing. Playing through an injury often makes it worse.
For the first few days, the PEACE part of the framework suggests (Dubois & Esculier, 2020):
- Protect: limit movement or use crutches, a brace, or tape for about 1 to 3 days, using pain as your guide
- Elevate: raise the injured area above heart level when you can
- Compress: a wrap or tape can help limit swelling, especially for ankle sprains
- Educate: understand that an active approach usually works better than waiting it out
Questions about pain medication, including anti-inflammatories, are best directed to your physician or pharmacist.
Should I use ice?
Ice can help with pain, and many people find it comfortable. But the authors of the PEACE and LOVE framework note that there's no high-quality evidence that ice helps soft-tissue injuries heal faster, and some concern that heavy icing could interfere with the body's normal repair process (Dubois & Esculier, 2020).
A reasonable approach:
- Use ice for short periods if it helps with pain, wrapped in a towel, for about 15 to 20 minutes
- Don't rely on ice as the main treatment
- Focus on gradually getting the injured area moving again
When should I start moving again?
Usually sooner than people expect. After the first few days of protection, the LOVE part of the framework recommends (Dubois & Esculier, 2020):
- Load: gradually return to normal activities as symptoms allow, without making pain worse
- Optimism: a positive, confident mindset is linked to better recovery, while fear of movement can slow it
- Vascularisation: start pain-free cardio, like cycling or swimming, a few days after the injury
- Exercise: rebuild strength, motion, and balance, with pain guiding progress
A useful rule of thumb many clinicians use: mild discomfort during activity is often okay, but pain that is sharp, keeps increasing, or is worse the next day means you've done too much.
When should I see a doctor?
Call 911 or go to the emergency room after a blow to the head or body if there are any concussion danger signs (CDC HEADS UP):
- One pupil larger than the other
- Drowsiness or inability to wake up
- A headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
- Repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions, or seizures
- Unusual behavior, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
- Any loss of consciousness, even brief
With any suspected concussion, stop playing, don't return the same day, and see a health care provider. Return to sports should happen in stages, only after a provider says it's safe (CDC).
Get prompt medical care if you have:
- A deformed-looking joint or limb, or you can't put weight on it
- A pop followed by major swelling or weakness, such as in the knee, shoulder, or Achilles
- Numbness, tingling, or a cold or pale hand or foot
- Severe pain or swelling that keeps getting worse
- Pain over a specific spot on a bone
- Neck or back injury with arm or leg symptoms
We screen for these signs during every evaluation and refer you to a physician when findings call for medical assessment.
How does PT help me return to my sport?
The hardest part of recovery is often the final stretch: going from "it feels okay" to being truly ready for the speed, cutting, and contact of your sport. A physical therapy evaluation may include:
- How the injury happened and what your sport demands
- Strength, motion, and balance compared with the other side
- Movement testing, like hopping, landing, and cutting, when you're ready
- Screening for signs that need a physician's evaluation
A typical plan may include:
- Early, gentle loading and motion exercises
- Progressive strengthening, balance, and conditioning
- Sport-specific drills, progressed step by step
- Clear milestones for returning to practice, then games
- Strategies to lower the chance of re-injury
Physical therapy doesn't guarantee a specific result or timeline. For concussions, a physician's clearance comes first.
At Nova Physical Therapy in North Hollywood, sports injury rehab is one of our core services, and every plan starts with an evaluation so treatment fits what we find. For specific injuries, see our posts on ankle sprains and pickleball injuries.
Do I need a referral for physical therapy in California?
Not to get started. California allows direct access to physical therapy. A physical therapist can evaluate and treat you without a referral for up to 45 calendar days or 12 visits, whichever comes first. After that, a physician or podiatrist needs to sign the plan of care for treatment to continue. Your insurance plan may have its own referral rules, so check your coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Is RICE still recommended?
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is still widely known, but newer thinking emphasizes short protection followed by early, gradual loading and exercise rather than long rest.
How long should I rest a sports injury?
For most muscle and ligament injuries, a short period of protection, about one to three days, followed by gradual movement works better than long rest. More serious injuries need a medical evaluation.
Should I ice or heat a sports injury?
Ice can help with pain early on, but it doesn't appear to speed healing. Heat is usually saved for stiffness later in recovery, not the first few days.
Can I play through a minor injury?
It's usually better to stop and assess. Playing through pain often makes injuries worse or changes how you move, which can lead to other problems.
When can I return to my sport?
When you have full motion, near-normal strength and balance compared with the other side, and can do sport-specific movements without pain. A physical therapist can help you test this.
What should I do after a hit to the head?
Stop playing, don't return the same day, and see a health care provider. Call 911 for danger signs like worsening headache, repeated vomiting, or confusion.
Do I need a referral to see a physical therapist?
No, not to start. California allows direct access within the limits described above.
About Nova Physical Therapy
Nova Physical Therapy is an outpatient physical therapy clinic in North Hollywood, California, led by a Doctor of Physical Therapy. We help people recover from sports injuries, back and neck pain, work injuries, auto accident injuries, knee pain, and shoulder problems, and we also work with balance problems and rehab after surgery. Patients come to us from North Hollywood, Burbank, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, and across the San Fernando Valley. Learn more about Nova or see our services.
Schedule an evaluation
If a sports injury is keeping you out of the game, an evaluation can help you build a plan to return safely and stay in it.
Nova Physical Therapy
4795 Vineland Ave #E, North Hollywood, CA 91602
Call (818) 639-3402 | Book an appointment online
Disclaimer
This article is for general education only. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation for any individual. Sports injuries vary, and only an in-person evaluation can determine what is right for you. Suspected concussions need a medical evaluation first. No treatment guarantees symptom resolution, and results vary. Physical therapists evaluate movement and function within their scope of practice and refer to physicians when findings warrant. Physical therapy in California is regulated by the Physical Therapy Board of California.