Ice, Ice, Maybe?
The practice of applying ice to an injury to reduce inflammation has been used for decades. The thing is, there’s ZERO peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support this practice. However, recent studies have shown that ice may affect the healing process.
The question is, “Why do many healthcare providers use ice on an injury to help reduce inflammation?”
The idea behind this practice is that ice impedes blood circulation to the injured area and minimizes swelling. But is this right? We’ll learn more from this article.
There’s nothing terrible about inflammation
Inflammation is not harmful — that’s a fact. It is a regular aspect of human physiology, so is there any reason why it should be stopped? You see, whenever a tissue is injured, the body makes attempts to remove the damaging stimulus and trigger the healing process.
The healing process includes increasing the circulation of blood and the flow of lymph to and from the affected area. This enhances the movement of inflammatory cells and nutrients to the injured site. On the other hand, the lymphatic system flushes out the waste and fluid accumulated due to inflammation.
