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Benefits of Cold Therapy
“Ouch!” So you decided to play basketball last night, but like a maniac you landed funny coming down from a rebound and slightly turned your ankle. But you of course played through the pain, being the tough guy that you are. It wasn’t a big deal then. Well, it’s morning now and you don’t feel so tough anymore. You actually hurt. A LOT! That ankle of yours is now about the size of Texas. It hurts, but your new giant red ankle can somehow support your weight. That means it’s not broken and only sprained --- lucky you. Thankfully, that also means there’s a lot you can do to fix your bulbous ankle without going to the doctor. It’s time for some Cold Therapy.
Cold Therapy is the application of pressure using a cool surface in the form of a pad, pack, wrap, or vest over an injury in order to reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain to the damaged area. The purpose is to make you comfortable so the sprain, strain, or spasm does not interfere with your everyday life. In time the injury will subside.
Now you might be thinking about “melting ice cubes getting everything wet and messy,” or frozen bags of freezer-burned veggies, or your grandmother’s rubber “fever pad” filled with ice water, or maybe even a cold slab of beef. Forget about those. Cold pads now contain soft ice gel or beads to use and reuse. You never have to refill the pad, it never makes a mess, and it stays cold.
“But what about a heat pad?” you may be asking yourself. That’s Heat Therapy and it’s for injuries of a little different nature. Heat Therapy should be used for long-term injuries in which the muscle area is torn or there is tightness and tension. The heat reduces stiffness in joints and increases blood flow to the damaged areas producing healing tissue.
Cold Therapy is used for injuries that will take a much shorter time to heal. These injuries usually have a lot of swelling due to an increase of blood flow which is characteristic of a sprain. The cooling device will move the excess blood AWAY from the area, the direct OPPOSITE of what a heating device is supposed to do.
Cold Therapy is also used for chronic injuries that reoccur. This pain and inflammation can be treated by using a cold pack or other cooling device that conforms to the appropriate area such as your heel, foot, knee, ankle, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or neck. If swelling is persistent, contact a doctor for further evaluation and treatment.
Now try not be such a maniac next time you play basketball. And that also applies if you’re only moving a box of books. Safety first! But if you find yourself in the same predicament, get that cooling pack back on that giant swollen ankle of yours!
Check out these cold therapy products
See related article: How Cold Therapy Works
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Articles: Heel and Foot
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