Should I Apply Ice Or Heat To My Injury?

One of the most common sports-medicine questions we receive at DT&R is whether to chill out orwarm up an injury. Both heat and ice can boost healing by manipulating blood flow. Ice restricts blood flow, which reduces inflammation and pain.Heat increases circulation, which boosts the supply of oxygen to the site, accelerating the removal of waste products. 

The trick is knowing when to use each.      

     
Both heat and ice both shock the body into breaking the pain-spasm cycle. Heat causes the body to circulate more blood to the area in order to cool it down. That brings more oxygen and nutrients, and removes waste products, which help heal the tissue. Cold is similar-the body sends more blood to the area to warm it up and promote healing.

So Which Is Best?

If both heat and ice do the same thing, which is better to treat your pain? There are really no hard and fast rules, but I typically have our patients at Dynamic do the following:

1. When an injury first occurs, use ice first. This is true whether the injury is acute (caused by some trauma like lifting something heavy or sitting too long) or subacute (a flare-up of a chronic condition, like sciatica). It's also important to use ice fast. You need to get ice to the injury within 5 minutes to get the best effect. If you're not at home and don't have ice handy, head to the 7-11 and buy a bag of ice. Begin treatment immediately. Apply ice for the first 48-72 hours. Use it for 20 minutes, then take it off for 20. Repeat as often as you can.

2. After 48-72 hours, when you feel the swelling has gown down and the pain-spasm cycle is broken, you can begin stretching the injured muscle with the appropriate exercises. At this point, choosing ice or heat is really up to you. Most people like heat before they exercise and ice after. Either way, you're getting red blood cells to the area to promote healthy healing.

3. For a really advanced treatment plan, I recommend a contrast bath. Try 20 minutes of heat followed immediately by 20 minutes of ice. Repeat three times. The contrast really shocks the body and gets it out of the pain-spasm cycle.

How To Make Your Own Ice Bag:

All you need is a ziplock freezer bag, rubbing alcohol and water.

Instructions:

1. Take a ziplock freezer bag, and add 1 1/2 cups of water to 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol.
2. Seal up the bag.
3. Put the bag in the freezer.

Thanks to the rubbing alcohol, the water won't freeze hard, so you'll be able to mold the bag onto your noggin or other miscellaneous body part  next time you take a spill.

And, incidentally, you can buy a bottle of rubbing alcohol at the dollar store for $1.

Have children? Try adding food colouring or sparkles into the mix!

Don't Let Pain At Work Slow You Down!

Headaches, along with neck, low back  and shoulder pain are some of the most common physical complaints in an office setting.

 

According to recent studies, 63% of all office workers will experience some form of neck and shoulder pain along with associated headaches. Contributing factors include poorly designed workstations, poor posture, and poor body mechanics related to work tasks.

A number of factors can contribute to back pain at work. For example:

• Force. Exerting too much force on your back - such as by lifting or moving heavy objects - can cause injury.
• Repetition. Repeating certain movements can lead to muscle fatigue or injury, particularly if you're stretching to the limit of your range of motion or using awkward body positioning.
• Posture. Slouching exaggerates your back's natural curves, which can lead to muscle fatigue and injury.
• Stress. Pressure at work can increase your stress level and lead to muscle tension and tightness, which can contribute to or worsen back pain.

Pain can plague your workdays and free time. You're not stuck with it, though. Take time to examine your work environment and address situations that might aggravate your back. Even simple steps to ease pain are steps in the right direction. Follow our guide below and become pain free today.  

 

In pain today? Our health care staff consist of Registered Massage Therapist, Osteopath's, Acupuncturist that are ready to help you become pain free and gain a Dynamic lifestyle. 

In Pain At The Office? - Try These 10 Things!

When working at a desk, try these suggestions for greater comfort:

1- Choose a desk that is the proper height. All things on your desk should be within easy reach.

 

2- Keep your body straight with the head and neck upright and looking forward, not to the side. Do not hunch over or slouch.

3 - Adjust the height of your monitor. Look forward with your head in a neutral position. Your eyes should be at the same height as the top of the monitor. Leaning your head forward can lead to headaches and neck pain.

4- When typing, keep your wrists straight, your shoulders perpendicular to the floor, and your forearms parallel to the floor.

5- When reading at your desk, use a bookstand or a paper holder to keep your eyes in the same neutral position you use to read documents on your computer monitor.

6- When talking on the phone, use a headset, when possible, especially if you talk on the phone for prolonged periods. Holding the phone between your shoulder and cheek will only lead to neck pain and headaches.

7- Stand up and stretch your legs with a short walk about every 20 to 30 minutes.

8- Take micro-breaks often, stretching your neck, arms and wrists, back, and legs. Simple stretches include neck rotations, fist clenches, arm dangles, and shoulder shrugs.

9- If your eyes concentrate on a particular object for long periods, relax your eye muscles by shifting your focus from objects that are close to you to objects that are farther away. This helps reduce eye strain.

10 - Visit A Massage Therapist or Osteopath every 4 -6 weeks. This will help prevent any soft tissue or joint pain, keep your body realigned, and keep your stress level to a minimal.

Get Your Back Pain Fixed Today With A Local Therapist In Burlington, Ontario!

Back pain is the #1 complaint for hospital and walk-in clinic visits.

It can alter your life, effect your job, and change the way you operate.


The number one cause of lower back pain is muscle strain and sprains. Back pain related to muscle strain typically develops over a long period of time. As our muscles develop high levels of acidic by-products, due to muscle contractions, these acidic by-products can accumulate in the muscle and begin to irritate the muscle and eventually cause pain.

In December 2011 Adam Bogar from Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation wrote an article on back pain. You can access it here: http://dynamictrainingandrehab.blogspot.com/2011/12/low-back-pain-why-is-it-so-common.html

January is the time of year where we have resolutions. Resolutions to get fit, be healthier, and work towards new goals.

Most of the population with resolution have some sort of pain. This pain, is one of the top reasons for not completing a goal are resolution.

Is your pain preventing you from achieving the body you want?

Get Your Back Out Of Pain With The #1 Alternative Health Care Team In Burlington, Ontario!

Our team at Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation features Registered Massage Therapist, Chiropractic Doctors that focus on soft tissue manipulation, an Osteopath, and Acupuncturist.

Our "Dynamic" team works together to create an action plan to get you out of pain today, and on the path to achieving your resolutions and making 2012 a pain free year!

Contact Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation at 905.637.4934 or email us at info@dynamictraining.ca to book an assessment and get on the road to results and pain free living!