After bumping, falling or an accident
After a fall, impact or sprain, you are usually immediately advised to cool down. Bystanders will immediately get ice or put you under the cold tap. But how do you actually cool properly? And is ice always the most suitable solution?
An acute injury, such as a sprained ankle or muscle tear, often results in bruising and swelling. With a bruise, vessels are torn and by cooling you bring this to a stop as quickly as possible. Cooling can also reduce pain and swelling. The cold numbs the pain, stimulates fluid drainage and counteracts vasodilation, so that no more blood can flow to the affected area.
If there is a broken bone or if you are bleeding, you should refrain from cooling.
How do you cool?
It is best to cool with a special cold pack, but ice cubes in a plastic sandwich bag also work fine. Wrap the cooling instrument well with, for example, a tea towel or T-shirt so that the skin does not come into direct contact with the cold. This prevents freezing of the skin.
Do not refrigerate for more than 15 to 20 minutes. If you cool for longer, the body tries to compensate for the cold by sending extra blood to the site and you want to prevent that. However, shorter is not good either. If you cool briefly, you will get a blood vessel dilation immediately after cooling. After those 20 minutes, you should not refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.
Keeping the affected area under running water is sometimes also recommended, but this does not seem wise. In any case, it is difficult to maintain cooling for 20 minutes in this way, and running water promotes blood circulation. It is better to place the affected part of the body in a container of water and add cold water from time to time. Cooling should never hurt
When do you cool?
Sometimes you cannot cool immediately after an injury has occurred. It often makes sense to cool down at a later time. You can also keep repeating the cooling for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. There is no point in going any longer, because then the recovery will start. About 20 minutes three times a day is enough to dampen the pain and stimulate the drainage of fluids. It also ensures that you give the affected area enough rest.
Is it always good?
Whether or not cooling really promotes recovery has not yet been scientifically proven. The effect is difficult to measure. There are even experts who think that cooling slows down the process of the inflammatory response, and thus the recovery. Cooling also ensures that you feel less pain, while pain can ensure that you do not exercise and give your body the necessary rest.
In an acute injury with swelling and discoloration, cooling generally does not cause any harm. The same goes for a place that feels warmer than the rest or with throbbing pain. Heat is generally recommended for muscle pain or stiffness. The important thing is that it feels good. In any case, pain should not get worse. When in doubt, it is best to consult a doctor.