Should I use ICE or HEAT?

Almost weekly we get a new patient on Monday that injured himself over the weekend. The injury often happens on a Saturday and the male ego will not allow him to rest for the remainder of the day. After all, there’s a lot to do! An injury can’t slow them down.

So down go the Tylenol, Excedrin, or prescription medications that their neighbor saved from their last dental appointment.

At night when the pain becomes more noticeable, the heating pad comes out from underneath the bed.

“It’s just a muscle spasm”

That’s what they all say.

The weird thing about heating pads is that they feel good when they are on you. They’re warm and cozy.

The next morning the pain is worse but that list from the weekend MUST get done! After all, it’s not every weekend that the car must be washed, the den must be painted and the weeds pulled from the backyard. My gosh, what would people think about this person if they waited just one more week!

So down go more vicodin, Tylenol and the heating pad is applied just prior to all the chores.

Monday morning is usually when the spouse calls to make an appointment for the husband. Remember the ego will not allow the male chromosome to make phone calls, let alone directions.

We examine the patient and it’s as if their back was on fire.

Diagnosis: damaged ligament between two vertebrae in the lower back. The joint between the bones is totally swollen, further stretching the joint capsule. This sends massive pain signals to the brain. The brain then sends impulses to the muscles surrounding the area to protect it. The best way to protect the injury is to splint it by tightening the muscles. Muscles spasm is a REFLEX to the injury. The poor guy can’t even move.

Aside the from the treatment we would provide, on that Saturday the person could have saved himself A WHOLE LOT OF GRIEF if he would have placed a bag of ice on his injury.

Why?

Ice reduces swelling. When soft tissues get damaged, they will inflame. They will then get swollen. Heat INCREASES swelling. Ice REDUCES swelling.

Ice reduces pain. The cold from the ice reduces the signals from the swollen joint to the brain. The brain then understands that the injury is being taken care of and REDUCES the nerve impulses to the muscles to splint. In a sense, the ice reduces muscular spasms via the nervous system.

Ice helps us help the patient. In our office the first thing we need to do is to reduce swelling prior to any adjustments. We have all kinds of neat ways of doing that such as ultrasound, cold laser therapy, electrical stimulation, etc. However, it is better for the patient to enter our office on Monday morning with less swelling to begin with. That way we can get them better quicker.

How to use ice

If you have not received a handout in our office on how to use ice, please ask us and we will give you one. Keep it for a reference.

Here’s a summary. Place crushed ice in a sandwich baggie. Wrap it with one layer of a towel and place it on the injury for 20 minutes.

Then take it off for 20 minutes.

Then place it back on for 20 minutes.

Do this as often as you can throughout the day.

The more severe the injury, the more necessary it is to follow this advice. If it’s a bad injury, it’s not uncommon to ice the injury 15-20 times per day. This will rapidly decrease your pain and the swelling.

Do this for 3 days. Look for other blogs for other advice depending upon your injury.