When the workout is over, time to recover. Ice, anyone? Ice isn't just for cold drinks. In the
past eight to ten years, many studies have shown the benefits of ice as
therapy. Ice is one of the simplest, safest, and most effective
self care techniques for injury, pain, or discomfort in muscles and
joints. Ice will decrease muscle spasms, pain, and inflammation to bone
and soft tissue. You can use ice initially at the site of discomfort,
pain, or injury. You can also apply ice in later stages for rehabilitation
of injuries or chronic (long-term) problems. During an initial injury, tissue damage can cause
uncontrolled swelling. This swelling can increase the damage of the
initial injury and delay the healing time. If you use ice immediately, you
will reduce the amount of swelling. Ice decreases all of these: swelling,
tissue damage, blood clot formation, inflammation, muscle spasms, and
pain. At the same time, the ice enhances the flow of nutrients into the
area, aids in the removal of metabolites (waste products), increases
strength, and promotes healing. This "ice effect" is not related
to age, sex, or circumference of the injured area.
There are four official stages to ice. The first stage
is cold, the second is burning/pricking, the third stage is aching, which
can sometimes hurt worse than the pain. The fourth and most important
stage is numbness. As soon as this stage is achieved, remove the ice. Time
duration depends upon body weight. Twenty to thirty minutes should be the
maximum time per area. If it is necessary to reapply ice, let the skin go
to normal temperature or go back to the third stage of aching.
Ice initially constricts local blood vessels and
decreases tissue temperature. This constriction decreases blood flow and
cell metabolism, which can limit hemorrhage and cell death in an acute
traumatic injury. After approximately 20 minutes of ice, blood vessels in
the injured area then dilate (open) slowly, increasing the tissue
temperature, an effect which is termed "reactive vasodilation." It can mean a lot, if you are injured or in discomfort!
Ice therapy can help the area heal faster, and there will be a decrease in
pain and swelling and an increase in lymphatic drainage. In the past 28 years, there have been many studies of
ice as a therapy tool for injuries. Many of these studies have had
conflicting conclusions, but improvements in technology are giving
researchers new data. There is no doubt in the minds of many researchers
and doctors that ice is the most widely used and efficient form of
cryotherapy in medicine today. A 1994 study sited in The American Journal
of Sports Medicine (Jul/Aug) showed ice affects not only the arterial and
soft tissue blood flow, but also the metabolism of the bone, in a positive
way. This is significant in the healing process of an injury to a joint. For the greatest benefits, use ice after exercise and
not before. In the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation (Feb/1994), a study on
the ankle was conducted to see if ice should be used on an injury before
exercise. The finding showed decreased temperature reduces the joint
mechanoreceptor sensitivity and thereby alters joint position sense,
exposing the joint to possible injury. In conclusion, cooling a body part
prior to athletic performance is contraindicated, which is academic-speak
for "probably a bad idea."
It was once believed the use of ice was only beneficial in the first 24 hours after an injury. Recent scientific studies have shown the benefits of ice over the long term. During the initial stage of an acute injury (within 24-48 hours), or during the chronic stage (after 48 hours) ice can be very beneficial in promoting wellness.
It was once believed the use of ice was only beneficial in the first 24 hours after an injury. Recent scientific studies have shown the benefits of ice over the long term. During the initial stage of an acute injury (within 24-48 hours), or during the chronic stage (after 48 hours) ice can be very beneficial in promoting wellness.
Ice therapy is very safe when used within the treatment
time recommended. Don't use ice if you have the following conditions:
rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's Syndrome, cold allergic conditions,
paralysis, or areas of impaired sensation. Do not use ice directly over
superficial nerve areas. In a study printed in the Archives of Physical
Medical Rehabilitation (Jan/1994), the use of ice was tested on spinal
cord-injured and able-bodied men. The results were that ice and cooling
down the body temperature may evoke a vascular response to cold stimulus
that may be mediated in part by the spinal cord and by supra-spinal
centers, causing a change in blood pressure.
RICE
When there is an injury or discomfort, a good rule to
follow for first aid is the mnemonic RICE:
R : Rest the injury.
I : Ice the injury.
C : Compress the injury.
E : Elevate the injury above your heart.
R : Rest the injury.
I : Ice the injury.
C : Compress the injury.
E : Elevate the injury above your heart.
The second most used method is ice massage or ice cups. Place water into a styrofoam/paper cup and freeze it. Place a towel under the area with discomfort or pain to catch drips. Holding onto the cup, tear the edge around the cup, exposing the ice. Use a gentle, continuous, circular motion and rub the ice directly over the skin at the site of injury or discomfort. This is good for areas on the extremities such as knees, legs, ankles, arms, wrists, hands, and so on. Ice cups penetrate deep into the muscle fibers. Because this is an active motion, it can sometimes be more effective than an ice pack. The desired effect is to go through the four stages of ice, as stated above, before moving to another area, approximately 5-10 minutes. There are some reusable plastic ice cups on the market, for the environmentally minded; however, paper or styrofoam cups work fine.
The third method is the ice bath. Find a bucket or container large enough to immerse the area in need. Place a towel under the bucket and add ice. Try to isolate the body part that needs to be iced. Immerse your foot for 5 to 10 minutes (20 minutes maximum). Do not immerse your whole body in ice - doing so can cause shock and/or possibly a heart attack.
When
the workout is over and it's time to recover, we have a short list of
things we’d like to do to help us relax: get a full-body massage; take a
nice hot shower; maybe sip a protein shake and play some X-Box. An ice
bath doesn’t immediately come to mind. But according to many top
strength coaches who work with pro athletes, soaking in a tub full of
ice is something that can make a big difference in the way your body
recovers. WHY IT WORKS After a workout, your body needs to "repair"
itself to prepare for the next training session. It does so with the
help of blood vessels that bring oxygen to your muscle tissue while
removing waste products of exercise — the most common being lactic acid.
Too much lactic acid build-up can cause your muscles to function poorly
and will often lead to fatigue. An ice bath will immediately reduce
swelling while flushing lactic acid out of your body. When you sit in an
ice bath — or when you rub a cup of ice on the muscles you just trained
— the cold causes your blood vessels to tighten. This helps drain the
lactic acid out of your tired muscles. When you get out of the bath,
your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood
to help your muscles recover. - See more at:
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/benefits-of-cold-therapy#sthash.fJVzhyfA.dpuf
When
the workout is over and it's time to recover, we have a short list of
things we’d like to do to help us relax: get a full-body massage; take a
nice hot shower; maybe sip a protein shake and play some X-Box. An ice
bath doesn’t immediately come to mind. But according to many top
strength coaches who work with pro athletes, soaking in a tub full of
ice is something that can make a big difference in the way your body
recovers. WHY IT WORKS After a workout, your body needs to "repair"
itself to prepare for the next training session. It does so with the
help of blood vessels that bring oxygen to your muscle tissue while
removing waste products of exercise — the most common being lactic acid.
Too much lactic acid build-up can cause your muscles to function poorly
and will often lead to fatigue. An ice bath will immediately reduce
swelling while flushing lactic acid out of your body. When you sit in an
ice bath — or when you rub a cup of ice on the muscles you just trained
— the cold causes your blood vessels to tighten. This helps drain the
lactic acid out of your tired muscles. When you get out of the bath,
your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood
to help your muscles recover. - See more at:
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/benefits-of-cold-therapy#sthash.fJVzhyfA.dpuf
When
the workout is over and it's time to recover, we have a short list of
things we’d like to do to help us relax: get a full-body massage; take a
nice hot shower; maybe sip a protein shake and play some X-Box. An ice
bath doesn’t immediately come to mind. But according to many top
strength coaches who work with pro athletes, soaking in a tub full of
ice is something that can make a big difference in the way your body
recovers. WHY IT WORKS After a workout, your body needs to "repair"
itself to prepare for the next training session. It does so with the
help of blood vessels that bring oxygen to your muscle tissue while
removing waste products of exercise — the most common being lactic acid.
Too much lactic acid build-up can cause your muscles to function poorly
and will often lead to fatigue. An ice bath will immediately reduce
swelling while flushing lactic acid out of your body. When you sit in an
ice bath — or when you rub a cup of ice on the muscles you just trained
— the cold causes your blood vessels to tighten. This helps drain the
lactic acid out of your tired muscles. When you get out of the bath,
your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood
to help your muscles recover. - See more at:
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/benefits-of-cold-therapy#sthash.fJVzhyfA.dpuf
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