Ice
Ice effectively reduces pain and swelling caused by inflammation due to injuries or other underlying conditions. It helps with vasoconstriction—narrowing the blood vessels—which keeps the blood and cells from reaching the injured or swollen areas and accumulating. It also helps decrease pain and swelling when appropriately done, thanks to reduced blood circulation.
However, icing for too long does more harm than good to the body. When the body suffers from inflammation and swelling, icing can also be detrimental when done for too long as the vasoconstriction it causes hinders the macrophages from reaching the damaged tissues. These macrophages are meant to release healing hormones like insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which helps the damaged tissues rebuild, repair, and heal, and it cannot do so when it doesn’t reach its supposed destination.
Ice is a double-edged sword and requires the right timing for treating swelling and injuries. More often than not, it’s perfect for pain management, but beyond that, it can cause more harm than good as the ice-constricted blood vessel hinders the healing hormones from reaching the injury site. This can cause longer healing time, reduced strength, flexibility, and endurance, and in the worst cases, permanent nerve damage.
