The author Dr. Gabe Mirkin of one of my favorite books, Sportsmedicine, recently posted information on his website about some recent research that indicates that there are times when ice actually delays the healing process. This is the Dr. Mirkin who is the Physician that coined the term “R.I.C.E.” in 1978, which stands for Rest; Ice; Compression; and Elevation, that millions of health care practitioners and patients have followed ever since.
Be careful how and where you use ice to treat injuries and/or pain. There is recent evidence that ice may actually delay the healing process by reducing inflammation. Reducing inflammation does reduce pressure on nerves and does therefore reduce pain, but it also may prevent some of the “healing” effects of the natural inflammatory response.
Let’s take a look at inflammation- there are times when inflammation is helpful to our bodies, and there are times when it is detrimental. It should be remembered that inflammation is part of the healing process. Sometimes reducing inflammation is necessary, but not always. Inflammation is the body’s attempt at self-protection to remove harmful stimuli and begin the healing process. Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response.
Here is a link to a recent article (February 2015) that was published in Medical News Today that shows some of the benefits of inflammation:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248423.php
I believe there are still times and places on the human body that you could and should use ice to speed the healing process. One place you never want inflammation is in your CNS (Central Nervous System), including your brain, spinal cord and all of your spinal nerve roots, as any pressure or “interference” with the nervous system decreases the body’s ability to function optimally.
In 1975 Seth Sharpless, a researcher at the university of Colorado, did a study on the effects of compression at the level of the nerve root (Where the large nerves exit from your spine). His finding was that only 8-10 mmHg of pressure, which is essentially the weight of a dime on the back of your hand, reduced the nerve transmission by over 60%!!! So inflammation at the nerve root level is like a “kink in the hose” blocking necessary nerve impulse transmissions. So I believe using ice on your neck and back when injured or inflamed will help reduce pressure on nerve roots which will reduce back and neck pain while also improving nervous function.
We also want to prevent acute inflammation to completely immobilize joints as we know movement of the joint will also speed the healing process, so if you sprain your ankle the acute inflammation will keep you from trying to do too much with that ankle, but you don’t want the swelling to get so bad that you can not move it. You should flex, extend, invert and evert your ankle with as much motion as you can throughout the healing process even if it has to be done in a non weight bearing fashion.
Here is an article about an NFL football player that seriously benefitted from “cold therapy: In the moments after a serious spinal cord injury paralyzed Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills below the shoulders, doctors began an innovative treatment… using “cold Therapy”… http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/sports/football/16everett.html
The human body is innately intelligent. This is the basic premise of Chiropractic. Chiropractors are not miracle workers. What we do is find and correct “subluxations” http://www.spineguys.com/why_chiropractic/subluxations.asp to reduce pressure or irritation on the spinal nerves that allows those nerves to function properly. It is the human body that is miraculous, how it heals a cut, digests your food, and all of the other functions that our nervous system controls.
Chiropractors help the patient’s body help itself, by removing any interference to the nervous system. Sometimes it is best to let the body do its innate thing. Really listen to your body, why is there swelling? Why do I have a fever? Why am I so tired? Using pharmaceuticals to combat symptoms may make you feel better, but are they really addressing what is wrong? A good example is a fever…it is an innate response and helps you fight bacteria and infections. http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/a-fever-is-a-good-thing-dont-suppress-it/ A fever may be a good thing, just be sure it does not get too high, and the same goes for inflammation- try not to let it get out of control or become chronic, as chronic inflammation can have serious effects as well. Chronic inflammation can eventually cause several diseases and conditions, including some cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and a series of autoimmune disorders.
So there are times and places to use ice, and some that you might not. Even Dr. Mirkin still advocates using ice therapy in the correct times and places, his article can be read in full here: http://drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html
I had a friend who once said to me…”Wow I have a severe head ache…I need some Ibuprofen”, just as we completed an arduous 107 mile bike race in 2010 that finished atop Mount Mitchell in North Carolina http://freewheelers.info/assaults/assault-on-mount-mitchell.html
What he really needed was something to eat and drink, and soon after I gave him a water bottle and an energy bar, his headache miraculously went away, without the Ibuprofen! : )
So please listen to your body and its signals to you, and keep your Chiropractic appointments on a regular basis to maintain the optimal functioning of your nervous system… your mind and body will appreciate it.
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