One of the questions I ask
every new patient, and most existing patients over and over again, is “Have you
put ice or heat on it?” The most
frequent answers are “No,” and “Heat.”
The opinion I am going to
share with you is based on 28 years of personal observation and patient
feedback. It does not necessarily
correlate with anything you will hear from any other healthcare provider in any
field. In fact, I have had rather
pointed discussions with two of my friends on this topic, and we have agreed to
disagree. Ice is best.
Let me elaborate. First of all, I understand that there are an extremely
small number of health conditions where the application of cryotherapy
(ice) will make the problem worse.
However, the odds against this happening are so great that there is
virtually NO risk in trying the ice first.
Second, I recognize that occasionally the patient is experiencing muscle
spasms that are increased by the cold – again, extremely rare (I have had less
than 20 patients over the years that have reported an increase in muscle
spasms).
The purpose of cryotherapy is
to increase the blood flow in the injured area.
Cells need oxygen and nutrients in order to repair themselves properly,
and these are carried in the blood. The
body’s reaction to injury is swelling, which blocks the blood flow to that
area. Don’t misunderstand: your arm will not fall off because the blood
flow has been cut off by swelling, but the flow will be restricted, and
the supply of oxygen and nutrients may be inadequate for the cells to heal
properly. This can lead to a low-quality
of scar tissue instead of healing, and in some instances, almost no healing
whatsoever.
Heat is touted to increase
circulation because the body is trying to cool the overheated area by transferring
the heat to other surfaces where it can be removed. Unfortunately, the heat also increases the
swelling, usually resulting in a net decrease in blood flow.
Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic
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