Member
Why is icing suggested for injuries?
Hi,
I iced a lot on my surgeries, I was told to do this to keep the inflammation down. Going through #4 now. I have a always been curious, if inflammation is your bodies natural way of healing by sending blood and nutrients etc to the injured area, why would you want to stop this by icing? is it better in the long run to ice for other reasons and that's why its suggested?
Thanks
TMPHBITEU
The only injury helped by icing is a muscle belly tear. It is essentially useless for anything else, unless you just like the way it feels. I don't think there's any evidence that icing actually interrupts or otherwise mediates the inflammatory process. Will/John/Sully?
Starting Strength Coach
Takagi, R, et al. Influence of Icing on Muscle Regeneration After Crush Injury to Skeletal Muscles in Rats. J of App Phys. February 1, 2011 vol. 110 no. 2 382-388Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
To sum this up, the researchers found the icing group actually showed decreased essential markers for inflammation and remodeling. This is not to be taken as a positive finding.
Use it for the local numbing effect. Nothing else. Don't overuse it.
Member
I've aways wondered about this myself. Please note that the key to researching this through PubMed (the NIH database) is to realize that no self-respecting academic would ever call it "icing". They of course refer to it as "cryotherapy" to keep the rest of us plebes in line. I couldn't find any major studies that demonstrated significant utility of icing but that doesn't really mean much. The NIH is unlikely to fund a study with sufficient power to demonstrate a true benefit for this. Likewise, I'd be a little suspicious of rat studies and studies that look at markers of inflammation rather than hard endpoints like "injury magically melts away".
That said, here's a review article in the emergency medicine literature that may be relevant but not terribly helpful:
Is ice right? Does cryotherapy improve outcome for acute soft tissue injury? - PubMed - NCBI
It didn't find any data to support icing. Again, I wouldn't make too big a deal of that. It's such a benign intervention that if it makes you feel better, then why not try it? Besides, it gives us doctor types something to recommend besides my personal favorite which is a shot of Booker's.
✓ Member
Our high school athletic trainer doesn't use ice for injuries and you'd swear he's telling everyone the earth is flat.
Member
Look up the guy that came up with the RICE method forty years ago. He just disavowed it a few years ago because there was no evidence it ever worked.
Member
Thank you for the info all!
Member
This is purely anecdotal, but I argue it does help, at least with sprained ankles.
I played basketball in high school and college and have sprained both ankles more times than I can remember. When I was in high school, if I was lucky, the coach would have something cold on hand to place on the ankle. Most of the time he didn't, but when he did and it was put on there right away, it seemed to curb the inflammation and length of time it took for the thing to heal. In college, I had access to whirlpools and an actual trainer, etc. The first time I sprained my ankle in college, which was probably the worst sprain I've ever had for various reasons, I had a horseshoe-shaped carpet pad cutout for compression, ice put on the area within 30 seconds, the whole thing wrapped and immobilized, elevated, etc. I was back at practice 3 days later. I don't know how large a part the ice played in keeping the inflammation at bay, but the whole protocol was extremely effective. Conversely, I've had less severe ankle sprains with no ice, or ice hours late, had my ankle swell up to the size of my knee, had to walk on crutches and took two weeks to fully heal.
Of course, weight training probably would have eliminated some of these instances and reduced severity in others, heh
Member
Would this mean that a warm compress might be more beneficial?
Member
Rip,
Why is it good for muscle belly tears?
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