I, like many other health care professionals, have been taught to ice all acute injuries. By acute, I’m referring to traumatic injuries that have occurred within 48 hours. Pain is usually sharp in nature and may be associated with swelling. With acute soft tissue injuries the first line of defence is ICE and the acronym RICE is usually applied : Rest Ice Compress Elevate. Ice is thought to reduce inflammation or swelling which can help to decrease pain. Makes sense right? Nots so fast. Rest – that could lead to muscle atrophy and joint stiffness. Ice and compression can restrict blood flow and limit the bodies ability to flush out the inflammation on its own. All this can create more pressure in the area, ultimately causing pain while reducing healing. So what now?
Continue Reading…