HOW TO ICE AN INJURY

ICE IS ONE OF THE ATHLETE'S BEST FRIENDS. iT IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE AS A TREATMENT FOR MOST OF THE INJURIES THAT CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS EXPERIENCE. ICE ALLEVIATES MUSCLE STRAIN SPASM, PREVENTS INTERNAL BLEEDING , AND REDUCES SWELLING OF MOST INJURIES. USING ICE IMPROPERLY, HOWEVER CAN ACTUALLY AGGRAVATE AN INJURY OR CAUSE FROSTBITE. APPLYING ICE FOR TO LONG CAN CAUSE INCREASED SWELLING AND BLEEDING. ALSO, COLD INCREASES THE PERMEABILITY OF THE LYMPHATIC VESSELS THAT CARRY EXCESS TISSUE FLUIDS BACK INTO THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM. WITH ICING THOUGH, THE LYMPHATIC VESSELS TEND TO DRAIN INTO THE SURROUNDING MUSCLE TISSUE. IF AN AREA IS ICED TOO LONG, GREATER SWELLING AND PAIN MAY RESULT BECAUSE THE LYMPHATIC VESSELS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CARRY EXCESS FLUID AWAY FROM THE INJURED AREA. APPLY ICE TO AN INJURY FOR 15 MINUTES FOLLOWED BY A 30 MINUTE BREAK FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 15 MINUTES OF ICING. THIS PROCEDURE CAN BE REPEATED AS MANY TIMES AS NECESSARY FOR THE FIRST 24 TO 48 HOURS FOLLOWING THE INJURY, THEN 3-5 TIMES A DAY UNTIL THE INJURY IS HEALED.