“When and why should I use ice?”🧊🧊🧊
Plus: Come to our party!!!
Good morning, beautiful New Day! 💓
Today I am finally going to write about something that I’ve wanted to talk to you about for awhile. ✨🤗✨
Something I haven’t had the chance to discuss, because of all the other exciting things going on that I always want to talk to you about instead.
What I am writing about today is something a little mundane, but important. 🤓
And I’ll say more about this in a minute, but regardless of how much intensive or wellness care you’ve had at New Day, or elsewhere, pain and injury are a part of life. The goal of care that helps you in your wellness is actually NOT to help you graduate to a state of having no pain ever again.
The topic is: ice. 🧊🧊🧊
Should you be applying ice to an area of pain?
When should you use ice instead of heat– ie a hot bath or a heating pad?
And what is the best way to use ice?
I know it can be nice to snuggle up with a heating pad (which I do often!) 😊
Icing, on the other hand, isn’t quite as cozy, so we might not feel motivated to try it.
Icing can also be quite boring, requiring you to sit relatively still instead of being up getting things done around the house.
But sometimes, ice is really what you need. ✨🙌✨
Icing is important because it helps get pressure off the nerves RIGHT AWAY. 💥💥💥
Not only does this typically help you in that you get a lovely interlude of reduced pain, but the process of icing improves the microcirculation in the area of pain, improving healing, and reducing the chance of scar tissue formation.
Heat does not have the same effect.
Here are some examples of times when you should try ice:
✅A pain is NEW. Or newly painful (an older, more chronic or ongoing pain won’t respond as well to ice)
✅There is a concentrated feeling of inflammation and “hotness” with pain
✅There’s swelling
✅Pain and inflammation has an intense quality
✅The area is sensitive to the touch
✅Pain limits mobility
For example, let’s say you have a sudden, sharp pain in your neck and now you can’t turn your head. Afterward, there’s an ache and tension felt in the muscles in the area that was injured.
This would be a perfect time to use ice! ✨👍✨
As soon as you can, after the initial sense of injury, apply an ice pack or even better a bag of frozen peas or corn (which has the advantage of molding to the area you are trying to ice). Use a scarf to hold the ice in place if you need to.
The ice pack should go directly on your skin (right UNDER a shirt or collar, UNDER the waistband of your pants, etc)
You will need to keep the ice pack on the area for about 15 minutes for it to work; you need to use ice until the area is NUMB. ⏱🧊✨
Then, take the ice pack off and put it back in the freezer to refreeze it fully. After another 15 minutes or so, reapply the ice pack, again for about 15 minutes.
Do a few cycles in a row of ice on, and then ice off again, if you can. 🔁🔁🔁
A good time to apply ice after an injury could be when you are working at your computer, or when you are sitting on the couch at the end of the day.
That way you will have some time to sit and stay still.
Don’t ice in bed, as you don’t want to fall asleep on an ice-pack and end up with frostbite! 🥶
Now, I want to come back to what I said earlier, about pain and injury being a normal part of life and most likely not something that you graduate beyond by receiving weekly chiropractic care. ✅
Research does show that people experience injuries like these less often, find that their episodes are less severe than in the past, and that they heal faster when they are receiving chiropractic care for the spine and nervous system on a regular basis.
Related to this, your care with us is likely helping you reduce the frequency and severity of pain and injury because of the likely improving way you respond to these situations. 🙌✨💪
One of my goals for you is that through the care that you receive from me, you can be more calm and mindful in stressful situations, including the stress of pain. 🙏🌎🌀
Because you will know your body better and better, and are spending less and less time living with your fight or flight nervous system activated, you can be more likely to let yourself rest and recover when you need it instead of “pushing through.”
And, you will be more likely to be able to identify the factors that lead to the increased pain, and do something about those factors. 💥✨💥
For example, it might become crystal clear to you that you need to drink more water, especially when you are spending long hours in front of a computer without physical activity. 🤗
And for further help as you continue to get these sorts of improvements, I encourage you to adopt the mind-set that if a pain or injury happens, that this is a step forward rather than a step back. Life is bringing you an opportunity to heal something that needs it!
Thank you for opening and reading, New Day! I very much look forward to seeing you at your adjustments this week. 💓
IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE! 🎉✨🎉
This is a teaser to let you know that we are having a PARTY soon! I really hope you’ll be able to come. ✨🎉✨
Not this Saturday, but next Saturday, April 9th, at New Day! 🙌
How come?
We want to celebrate the 9TH ANNIVERSARY of the creation of New Day. 💖☀️💖
And, honestly, we just want to have fun! 😂🥳😍
Plan to come out and see me, Diana, and many other friendly and familiar faces for food and drink on Saturday, April 9th from 1-3PM.
There will be a raffle with a special grand prize as well (more on that next time!) 💝
RSVP is not required, but you can let us know if you plan on stopping by clicking here.