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ICE (More than something to cool a drink)
By: Brian Patafie
When I was a young lad growing up in Ottawa, Ontario and playing minor hockey, I was very injury prone, or things just seemed to hurt a lot. Maybe, it was poor equipment or just a poor style as my goaltending abilities left a lot to be desired.
If, or should I say when, I came home with a hockey related injury, be it a charley horse or a sprained ankle, the fist thing my mother would do is fill a hot water bottle and place it over the affected area. Then, if that wasn't good enough, she would set her heating pad on the high position and wrap it on me with an old A.C.E. bandage.
Well Mom, if you're reading this, "sorry"! But you were doing more harm to me than good. What I want to explain in this report today is the Rice Injury Treatment Method. Now, don't be going down to your local grocery store and picking up a box of Uncle Bens, because while this is a great staple for a pre game meal, it will not help you with your injuries.
With every sprain, strain or contusion, the affected area has a considerable amount of internal bleeding, and that bleeding has to be stopped. Also, that area should be immobilized and elevated (preferably elevated above the heart), so if it's your ankle, then lay down and elevate it on a couple of pillows. Ice should be applied to the affected area. (I prefer icing an area for twenty minutes on the hour.) You should also stop playing until the extent of the injury is assessed.
This procedure is known as R.I.C.E. 'R' for REST, 'I' for ICE, 'C' for COMPRESSION and 'E' for ELEVATION. The RICE method should be used for the first 36 to 48 hours and then, and only then, can heat be applied to the affected area. I guess you want me to explain how this helps your injury? Hey, thanks for asking. Well, just like our bodies need a certain amount of sleep, our injuries need Rest to speed up the healing process. If we were to keep walking on a sprained ankle, there is no telling how long it will take to heal. Ice applied to the affected area helps to stop the internal bleeding and promote the healing. When we put Compression or pressure on an injury it stops any more Hemotoma (blood pooling in the area). This is especially important with sprains. And finally, Elevation. When you elevate the affected area you force your heart to pump the blood a little harder which will get the blood flowing in your injured area and improve your blood circulation to that area.
Brian Patafie, Athletic Trainer
Ottawa 67's (OHL)
Augusta Lynx Hockey Club (ECHL)
15 years Calgary Flames (NHL) |
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