To Ice or Not?
Ice is becoming a hot topic in the world of Sports and Recovery. How we treat injuries is always changing based on the newest and most recent research. When someone rolls their ankle or stubs their toe, the first thing we all reach for is the ice-pack…. But should we? Are we doing more harm than good?
We began really recommending the use of ice back in 1978 when the RICE protocol was coined (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) by Dr. Gabe Mirkin. For years, RICE was looked on as the Gold-Standard in injury management until the introduction of POLICE (Protection, Optimal Loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation). It became apparent that people were seeing “rest” and taking it as total rest, reducing their all-round physical activity. This inactivity then contributed in prolonged healing times and, hence, “optimal loading” was introduced. As research is still evolving and producing new results, we now run off the “Peace and Love” guidelines.
You will be hard pressed to find anyone within the literature who will argue with the fact that ice works well as an analgesic (pain reducer). There is now a consensus that ice paired with complete rest is actually slowing down the healing processes within the body. When we get injured, our bodies go through a period of inflammation. This inflammation triggers the release of certain cells within our bodies that are responsible for the killing off of old, damaged cells and regenerating healthy tissue - therefore healing your injury. When we apply ice and stop/slow this inflammatory reaction, we are essentially stopping/slowing our bodies from healing at the speed they want to.
What I tend to say to my clients is to use ice within the first 24hrs but to stay away from it after that. Being injured can be extremely uncomfortable and a bit of relief at the beginning can really help. There is the opposite side of the coin, however….. How much inflammation is too much inflammation? Excessive swelling can put pressure on the tissues which can restrict range of motion, leading to adverse affects on the rehab process. In this case, you would need to use ice and different methods a little bit more to try to limit the extent of the swelling in order to progress the rehab.
One of the most important aspects of recovering from an injury is education. It is so important for you to know the right exercises and movements that you should be doing to ensure that you have the fastest recovery possible.
If you are dealing with an injury and you are not entirely sure of the best approach for you to take, get in touch with us today!
