I'm a Physio whose pretty passionate about all things injuries and have put together an article on why we shouldn't be icing injuries anymore. This is despite how common it is to do, and how popular it still seems to be in the AFL.
The long and the short of it is that we have iced for decades for some very noble reasons - to limit swelling, inflammation and pain. And we do this with a view of speeding up the healing process and offering a faster return to activity
Yet when we match these ideas up with what the body actually needs to happen, we see a huge disconnect between the two. This may sound strange, but icing an injury may in fact slow down the healing process and get in the way of what the body's trying to do post-injury.
Icing is still our go to in the AFL and is often a dead giveaway a player is "done for the day" when the ice pack and cling wrap come out. We are dealing with some of the best medical teams in Australian sport, yet it seems my industry may be perpetuating something completely unnecessary.
I think this is all the more important considering how long the AFL injury lists are these days, and how critical it is to turn these guys around and get them back on the field ASAP.
But with a simple shift in perspective I think theres a genuine chance to revolutionize the way the AFL goes about its player management and care.
If anyones interested:
Is this something everyone's across?
The long and the short of it is that we have iced for decades for some very noble reasons - to limit swelling, inflammation and pain. And we do this with a view of speeding up the healing process and offering a faster return to activity
Yet when we match these ideas up with what the body actually needs to happen, we see a huge disconnect between the two. This may sound strange, but icing an injury may in fact slow down the healing process and get in the way of what the body's trying to do post-injury.
Icing is still our go to in the AFL and is often a dead giveaway a player is "done for the day" when the ice pack and cling wrap come out. We are dealing with some of the best medical teams in Australian sport, yet it seems my industry may be perpetuating something completely unnecessary.
I think this is all the more important considering how long the AFL injury lists are these days, and how critical it is to turn these guys around and get them back on the field ASAP.
But with a simple shift in perspective I think theres a genuine chance to revolutionize the way the AFL goes about its player management and care.
If anyones interested:
Why You Shouldn't Ice an Injury (or RICE) - Your Wellness Nerd
It's time to stop using ice (and RICE) to treat injury. Here's what you need to know for better healing and a faster recovery from injury.
yourwellnessnerd.com
Is this something everyone's across?
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