Ice Ice Baby….!
We all have heard that after an injury such as a joint strain, ligament tear, or muscle pull we should apply ice. They tell us it
will help. They say it can even shorten the healing time! Can it be so simple? Does an ice pack REALLY make a difference. Well
consider that in many professional sports, the athlete will actually ice their joints after the game, regardless of whether they
have any pain, and regardless of whether they have an injury! It’s inevitable that certain joints like the shoulder and elbow in
baseball pitchers, or the knees and ankles in basketball players, will have a certain degree of wear and tear. Ice can help keep
inflammation in check, and can even help to prolong the career of the athlete. So can it help you?!
Absolutely.
It is important to understand the process of inflammation first when you injure yourself. Sprains, strains, pulls,
bruises all involved one thing…. microscopic tears or micro-tears in the soft tissue (muscle, tendons, ligaments).
Whether you were hit by blunt object, or you tripped on a step and over stretched your ankle ligaments, the result is
the same. Micro-tears. Next comes the pain and then the swelling! It’s the swelling that will slow your recovery.
This mystery swelling will get in between all the tendons and joint space making your joint stiff. Dead blood cells,
white blood cells will accumulate and further restrict the joint movement for several days. The is turn will mean
less movement, delayed recovery and weakening of your muscles. The swelling will also restrict blood flow into the
area for many days or even weeks, as the body tries to repair itself and remove waste products.
Depending on the area of the body and the structure you injured, there will be varying degrees of swelling.
Ankle swelling is the most obvious as it is a bony area and it’s easy to spot. Also because of the ankle’s location,
gravity works against us and the swelling accumulates.
When tissues tear microscopically, they leak out tissue fluid and blood, that begins to accumulate.
Frequently the region will be warm and have a reddish color due to the increased circulation immediately after the injury.
This process begins immediately after an injury, but it can take 24-72 hours for enough tissue fluid to accumulate in
order to cause symptoms of pain and stiffness. This is why many people frequently do not see their physiotherapist or
physicians immediately after an accident or injury - it simply doesn't hurt enough (or it may not hurt at all) initially.
Ice should always be used immediately following an injury because it constricts blood vessels, which will lessen swelling,
as well as numb pain and control bleeding. DO NOT APPLY HEAT OR RUB THE AREA. Applying heat may actually slow healing during
the first 72 hours after an injury takes place. (By the way, alcohol will make it worse too. By alcohol I don’t mean alcohol
rubs, I mean beer and alcohol of that sort!)
When to Use Ice:
During Acute Stage (First 72 hours immediately after an injury)
• To decrease swelling and inflammation
• To numb pain
• To decrease muscle spasms
• To treat an acute burn
After the first 72 hours, the need for ice varies. In some cases usually depending on the location and nature of the injury, heat can be more effective. But as a general rule, if there is still swelling in the area, ice can STILL be effective even after many weeks or months AFTER the injury!
So the next time you injure yourself, think about reaching out for the good old fashioned ice pack, before you grab the heat rub!
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