Injury researchers in Australia say putting ice on soft tissue injuries could actually slow down the body's natural healing.
The standard treatment for sprains and strains is rest, ice, compression and elevation - or RICE.
Dr Rachael Murray, a researcher at the Queensland University of Technology and immediate past president of the Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society, says ice may make it feel better, but will constrict veins around the joint and slow blood flow to the injury site.
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She says it’s true that icing relieves pain and can reduce swelling, but inflammation is a signal the body gives out to tell the it to begin the repair process.
“Sometimes if you actually knock that down, you’re not starting it off as well as it could be.”
She says even drugs like ibuprofen should be avoided because they target inflammation and swelling.
“It’s the initial point that you need that inflammation, you need to not be reducing it.”
She says the jury is out on whether compression does anything to help the healing process.
“There’s no real evidence that it’s of benefit on its own after you’ve injured yourself.”
The same goes for elevation.
She says the reason people might find the RICE system useful is a placebo effect.
Rest, however, remains a useful part of the recovery process. She says people should avoid putting weight on the injury at the initial stage, but try begin to exercise it shortly afterward.
“You need to get up and start moving at some point.”
