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Ice, Schmice!

Tuesday, 22 December 2015 00:10

By Dr. Michael Williams (premiersportsandspine.com)

Have you ever bent or moved the wrong way, something you’ve done painfree thousands of times, but found yourself incapacitated with pain? The type of pain that makes you move like an inchworm and feel much older than you really are as you scramble to find any position or remedy to help you with the pain. For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind is RICE, or more specifically the “I” component, standing for Ice.

Well for everyone out there who has become more skeptical as of late due to reversals in the medical literature, here’s another one! Just like other previously known ‘beneficial’ and research proven knowledge, things

change…and seem to confuse most people too. In this case, there have been more and more resources exclaiming over the last few years that ice does relieve pain by reducing the sensitivity of pain-sensing receptors and nerve fibers that transmit pains signals; however, ice does not speed up healing, it may actually be detrimental to recovery. This is because it delays the release of IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), a key hormone released by immune cells in order to repair damaged tissues.

So don’t throw away all of your ice bags or old bags of frozen vegetables, but be more aware of its intended use. In acute cases, ice may provide the temporary pain relief needed to allow you to partake in active recovery, as rest can be detrimental to recovery as well! Just remember that icing doesn’t prevent inflammation or swelling, it only delays it.