What You Need To Know About Injury Inflammation & Chronic Inflammation

inflammation

 [in″flah-ma´shun] 

a localized protective response elicited by injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off boththe injurious agent and the injured tissue. adj., adj inflam´matory. (Source)

When an injury occurs, the inflammation process immediately kicks in which allows white blood cells to rush to the site of injury in order to begin the repair process and protect from infection. This is a naturally occurring process that is needed after an injury. 

Now let's discuss why many doctors and medical professionals have recommended using ice and heat when it comes to injuries and why that neither is a good idea for a fresh injury. 

Ice: Dr. Gabe Mirkin was the creator of the acronym we all know as R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) in 1978. Dr. Mirkin himself has recently backed out of this and recognizes that ice can do more harm than good. 
Here is his article: RICE: End Of An Ice Age
Ice is simply a numbing agent. It has been said that it helps bring down inflammation. This is true, but in bringing down the inflammation, it slows down the healing process. White blood cells begin to struggle to get to the injury site but get blocked. It also slows the blood flow which is need to heal. If used excessively, ice can actually cause nerve damage. Can you imagine all of these athletes who take ice baths? Yikes! It is such a shock to the system and interruption of nerve communication. 

My back has seized up on me before. The first time it ever happened, I grabbed an ice pack and laid on it for 20-30 minutes. I went to bed and the next morning I could not move. I quit using ice and within the next few days of moving into an apartment complex that had a hot tub, I tried that out. Within a few days I was almost back to normal. I just learned to keep moving and use the hot tub and my recovery sped up rapidly. I was still really tight for about a week, so I kept using heat. The 2nd time my back seized up, I went straight to heat. I recovered in half the time. 

Heat: Heat will obviously speed up the inflammation process, which is not needed. In an acute situation (fresh injury), the site of injury is already hot from the dilated blood vessels working overtime. Heat is best when things have settled down and the area just feels tight and range of motion is still a struggle. 

If you have a more chronic inflammation condition, such as Arthritis, Plantarfasciitis, Tendonitis, an anti-inflammatory diet is the best and most natural treatment. Again, ice slows inflammation and numbs. Heat will only exacerbate it. Also, cortisone shots can do the same damage to nerves over time as ice. Painkillers can be a resort for pain management but be careful with dosage and how often you take it. Any medication, if taken on a regular basis, can cause digestive issues. Instead, up the ante with vegetables while lessening the intake of sugars and caffeine. Turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory spice that you can add to just about anything. Of course, water intake is vital as well as exercise and movement. Liquid movement such as swimming or hot tub use is very effective as well. My father goes to the gym and above all else he loves using the hot tub and steam room for his arthritis. He also takes turmeric & ginger right before bed and it helps him get a restful sleep with minimal tossing and turning. 

In conclusion, do not use ice or heat on a fresh injury. Instead it is best to keep a gentle mobility in the area- do not stop moving it or the restrictions of range of motion will worsen and become more of a chronic issue. Heat is great for tight, sore muscles only.