I'm 41 years old and have lived almost exclusively that entire time in upstate NY. During that time I've shivered through hundreds of snowstorms here. Sometimes the Winter season was light and we barely got a dusting. Other times the season was heavy with lots of snow. But typically Wintertime here was a mix of the two extremes. It never seemed all that bad, until this year.
If you peruse Facebook you'll find many Bostonians and New Yorkers complaining along the same lines. Everybody in the Northeast has been hit hard this year. I've never had to shovel and snow blow this much of the white stuff before! If I don't have to do either on a particular day, I'm really surprised. My dogs have given up trying to find places to do their business because everywhere the snow is well above their heads. I now wake up an extra 10 minutes early for travel time and don't even bother looking at the forecast anymore. My lower back's taking a beating because of the Goliath snow drifts.
Don't worry, this post isn't going to be another bitch session about the weather. It isn't going to be about the positive aspects of Winter running either. Were going to talk about a runner's secret weapon when it comes to injury treatment, ice.
When you think about it, using ice as a treatment option for some of our most common injuries is one of the simplest and smartest things to do. Why? The number one reason opting for ice is the best choice when you're injured is because it involves putting absolutely nothing into your body to provide relief.
Our culture is so wrapped up with the notion of taking a pill to solve our myriad of problems. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally use ibuprofen and naproxen for my aches and pains. But why do that unless you have to? There's some evidence that long-term use of NSAID's may cause injuries to heal weaker than pre-injury. While they may provide relief, they should be only used for short periods of time.
There's also some new evidence that some "minor" inflammation is good for you. When a muscle is stressed it breaks down to a certain degree and inflammation occurs. The body senses the inflammation and reinforces the broken down fiber as a result making the new muscle larger and stronger.
Another reason that using ice to treat injuries is great is because of it's abundance. Most people in our country have access to a refrigerator with a freezer. Some like me even have access to refrigerators with automatic ice makers. Even if you don't have access to stored ice most supermarkets have large bags of ice for a relatively low price. As a last resort you can even use frozen vegetables!
If you don't have access to anything immediately cold there's also instant (one-time use) ice packs. But I think these are wasteful unless they're your only option. I'd rather opt for the reusable ones that you can store in your freezer that contain a freezable gel. They can be used almost indefinitely.
Some companies have developed massage balls that can be frozen and then used to massage and ice an injury. They kill two birds with one stone for the time constricted among us. They're cool sounding, but I've had little success using them.
Let's look at some basic rules when using ice treatment. First off I would avoid using ice (or any type of pain medication) before training. The main reason is because that if you did you may overuse the sore spot and cause an even more serious injury. Save it for afterwards as a precaution.
Most experts recommend applying ice longer than 10 minutes because anything less and the cold doesn't penetrate deep enough to the affected muscle, ligament or joint. They also recommend never applying it to exposed skin or you run the risk of frostbite. They suggest a routine of 20 minutes on 20 minutes off. I've experimented with applying it to my exposed skin and for longer than 20 minutes without any negative affects, but do this at your own risk. I'm just inhuman.
Everyone knows the RICE analogy which stands for Rest Ice Compression Elevation. Most experts recommend using ice within the first 72 hours of injury, but this is more to prevent swelling than any other reason. Obviously if the injury persists you may need to see a doctor.
If you're a runner then you've heard of ice baths. I've taken my fair share of them and they're fun in a really sick way that only we can appreciate. Surprisingly there's little evidence that they work to cure "dead" legs or help with injury. But the theory seems sound. I've taken them after long training runs and even a few marathons. Personally they didn't do anything for me other than give me the shivers and convince my wife that I was certifiably nuts. If you opt to try one the procedure is quite simple. Fill a tub with the coldest water you can find, add ice (five to seven of the large store bought bags will fill a regular sized tub) and hop in. After that it's a lot like riding a bull, hold on for as long as you can. I've found that if I do something distracting like reading a book or listening to a podcast while I'm sitting in one that I can last up to 20 minutes. Clothing is allowed unless you want to be a total bad ass.
Right now I'm fighting an ongoing battle with some chronically tight hip and glute muscles. I've found that applying heat with a heating pad before I ice allows for a deeper penetration of the cold. This jives perfectly with the previous 20 minutes on 20 minutes off routine by alternating the two. The heat will loosen the muscle and allow for maximum cold penetration by the ice.
If you decide to start using ice for injury treatment I recommend two things. First get a plastic ice bag. Most pharmacies sell them and they're awesome because they have a screw on top. This means that when the ice melts it won't leak all over the place.
Second get some compression ice wraps. Basically they're a neoprene type material with a mesh pouch that can hold either a reusable ice bag, one-time use ice bag or Ziploc bag of ice. The wrap can then be wrapped around the injured area and is secured with Velcro. These work great for knees, ankles and feet. Some companies even sell larger ones that can wrap around your back and torso.
As usual I'm not a doctor and these suggestions are only my opinion. So if you need real advice on ice treatment talk to a medical professional.
Got my feet wet this week with leading physical fitness training for my department's new batch of recruits. So far it's been a blast and I look forward to getting them up to speed so they can pass their final Cooper Standards test in two months. Of course I can't just sit there and do nothing while they're sweating away, so I jump in too. The additional full body workouts kill my upper body and aggravate my ongoing tight right hip. But it was amusing to not be able to lift my arms over my head the next day.
The sub zero wind-chills and massive amount of snow on the shoulders of every road has made outside running a pipe-dream until Spring. Although, I did manage to get a mile outside in the record breaking low temperatures earlier in the week for bragging rights and a cool selfie. Until it warms up I'm going to be giving my treadmill much love. Without it I don't think my streak would be continuing. Have officially made it past a month! I hope all of you are getting your miles in safely and warmly wherever you are! If you can't find ice anywhere and you live in the Northeast, just go outside and make snow angles in just your running shorts, that'll work too! As always, let me know if I can help!
Our culture is so wrapped up with the notion of taking a pill to solve our myriad of problems. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally use ibuprofen and naproxen for my aches and pains. But why do that unless you have to? There's some evidence that long-term use of NSAID's may cause injuries to heal weaker than pre-injury. While they may provide relief, they should be only used for short periods of time.
Another reason that using ice to treat injuries is great is because of it's abundance. Most people in our country have access to a refrigerator with a freezer. Some like me even have access to refrigerators with automatic ice makers. Even if you don't have access to stored ice most supermarkets have large bags of ice for a relatively low price. As a last resort you can even use frozen vegetables!
If you don't have access to anything immediately cold there's also instant (one-time use) ice packs. But I think these are wasteful unless they're your only option. I'd rather opt for the reusable ones that you can store in your freezer that contain a freezable gel. They can be used almost indefinitely.
Some companies have developed massage balls that can be frozen and then used to massage and ice an injury. They kill two birds with one stone for the time constricted among us. They're cool sounding, but I've had little success using them.
Let's look at some basic rules when using ice treatment. First off I would avoid using ice (or any type of pain medication) before training. The main reason is because that if you did you may overuse the sore spot and cause an even more serious injury. Save it for afterwards as a precaution.
Most experts recommend applying ice longer than 10 minutes because anything less and the cold doesn't penetrate deep enough to the affected muscle, ligament or joint. They also recommend never applying it to exposed skin or you run the risk of frostbite. They suggest a routine of 20 minutes on 20 minutes off. I've experimented with applying it to my exposed skin and for longer than 20 minutes without any negative affects, but do this at your own risk. I'm just inhuman.
Everyone knows the RICE analogy which stands for Rest Ice Compression Elevation. Most experts recommend using ice within the first 72 hours of injury, but this is more to prevent swelling than any other reason. Obviously if the injury persists you may need to see a doctor.
If you're a runner then you've heard of ice baths. I've taken my fair share of them and they're fun in a really sick way that only we can appreciate. Surprisingly there's little evidence that they work to cure "dead" legs or help with injury. But the theory seems sound. I've taken them after long training runs and even a few marathons. Personally they didn't do anything for me other than give me the shivers and convince my wife that I was certifiably nuts. If you opt to try one the procedure is quite simple. Fill a tub with the coldest water you can find, add ice (five to seven of the large store bought bags will fill a regular sized tub) and hop in. After that it's a lot like riding a bull, hold on for as long as you can. I've found that if I do something distracting like reading a book or listening to a podcast while I'm sitting in one that I can last up to 20 minutes. Clothing is allowed unless you want to be a total bad ass.
Right now I'm fighting an ongoing battle with some chronically tight hip and glute muscles. I've found that applying heat with a heating pad before I ice allows for a deeper penetration of the cold. This jives perfectly with the previous 20 minutes on 20 minutes off routine by alternating the two. The heat will loosen the muscle and allow for maximum cold penetration by the ice.
If you decide to start using ice for injury treatment I recommend two things. First get a plastic ice bag. Most pharmacies sell them and they're awesome because they have a screw on top. This means that when the ice melts it won't leak all over the place.
Second get some compression ice wraps. Basically they're a neoprene type material with a mesh pouch that can hold either a reusable ice bag, one-time use ice bag or Ziploc bag of ice. The wrap can then be wrapped around the injured area and is secured with Velcro. These work great for knees, ankles and feet. Some companies even sell larger ones that can wrap around your back and torso.
Got my feet wet this week with leading physical fitness training for my department's new batch of recruits. So far it's been a blast and I look forward to getting them up to speed so they can pass their final Cooper Standards test in two months. Of course I can't just sit there and do nothing while they're sweating away, so I jump in too. The additional full body workouts kill my upper body and aggravate my ongoing tight right hip. But it was amusing to not be able to lift my arms over my head the next day.
The sub zero wind-chills and massive amount of snow on the shoulders of every road has made outside running a pipe-dream until Spring. Although, I did manage to get a mile outside in the record breaking low temperatures earlier in the week for bragging rights and a cool selfie. Until it warms up I'm going to be giving my treadmill much love. Without it I don't think my streak would be continuing. Have officially made it past a month! I hope all of you are getting your miles in safely and warmly wherever you are! If you can't find ice anywhere and you live in the Northeast, just go outside and make snow angles in just your running shorts, that'll work too! As always, let me know if I can help!
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