For the longest time, the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) has been the gold standard for the treatment of injuries and sore muscles as it helps to relieve pain caused by injured tissue.But, can the utilization of ice and complete rest delay healing and repair versus helping?What many people do not recognize is that healing REQUIRES that Inflammation process to occur.You probably notice that the first thing that happens when you injure yourself is that inflammation starts to occur. The reason is because your body's first physiological process, to deal with tissue repair and remodeling, is to send inflammatory cells to the injured site to promote healing.Through the application of ice to the injured area, it tends to limits the amount of blood flow to the injured site. As a result of this, the inflammatory cells, that are promoting healing, are suppressed.Additionally, the swelling that is present, as a result of the inflammation, needs to be decreased from the injured site. The swelling is present due to the lymphatic system draining slowly.How it can be sped up is through having the muscles contracting or being compressed NOT through utilizing ice – which does the contrary.So, if utilizing ice, as means of reducing inflammation, is thought to be detrimental to muscle/tissue healing and repair, does that mean that anything that reduces inflammation is detrimental as well?YESAnything that reduces your immune response will also delay muscle healing. Thus healing is stifled by:
- cortisone-type drugs,
- almost all pain-relieving medicines, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like
ibuprofen
- immune suppressants that are often used to treat arthritis, cancer or psoriasis,
- applying cold packs or ice, and
- anything else that blocks the immune response to injury.
Lastly, ice slows nerve firing and deters strength, speed, and coordination of a muscle. This is supported by medical research reporting that immediately following cooling a muscle for 20 or more minutes, there was a decrease in strength, speed, power and agility-based running.Don’t get me wrong, ice may make the injury site feel better, but as we may know that feeling better does not always lead to healing better.An alternative approach, which is being touted and garnering attention by Dr. Kelly Starrett, is through tissue compression and mobilization of the injured site.So, instead of waiting for scar tissue to develop restricting your range of motion by laying down tissue haphazardly, we want the scar tissue to lay in the same way that the original healthy tissue lies.Through bringing your joints closer together, increasing proprioception, practitioners are noting an increase in range of motion in damaged areas without increasing pain. As the joints move more efficiently, the effects of the scar tissue can be mitigated as recovery occurs. Tools like the voodoo band and joint sleeves can be utilized to aid in this process.Ultimately, it is my belief that ice and NSAID are being over utilized. But they do have a time and a place. Just ask yourself the next time you get injured is this really the best option? Is it necessary for this injury at this stage?Did you like this article? Feel free to share it with the people you care about and see if a Complimentary Consultation is the next step to regain their health.Dr. Harris is a Life By Design Chiropractor practicing in Annapolis, MD.