To Ice, or to Heat? That is the Question

Ouch! My (name of body part here) hurts! What should I do for fast relief? There seems to be a long-standing debate about the benefits of ice or heat. Which is better? The answer: it depends.

In almost every case the best rule is: when in doubt, ice.

Ice helps decrease inflammation and numbs the area, which decreases the sensation of pain. After injury, the body reacts with inflammation. The blood vessels dilate (get bigger) so that white blood cells and repair cells can flood the area to try to heal the injured area as quickly as possible. The inflammation also serves to make motion more difficult to decrease the risk of further injury. On a small scale injury (like, say, a paper cut) this response is small and only lasts for a short time unless the area gets infected. On a larger scale (like a sprain or large gash) the inflammatory response generally lasts longer and is more extreme.

This response is a good thing until, of course, it no longer serves a purpose. We are creatures of habit, and that extends to our bodies too. Our bodies often maintain that inflammation longer than necessary, and that puts more pressure on the structures and tissues in the area which causes prolonged pain. Prolonged pain then causes more inflammation, and the cycle begins. The best way to interrupt that cycle is ice. Ice decreases the inflammatory response (eventually reverses it too) and decreases the pain.

The signs of inflammation are redness, heat, visible swelling, stiffness, and pain. When these are present, it's almost always best to ice the affected area.

Heat does have its place though. Muscle cramps and chronically sore muscles respond really well to heat. the big thing to consider is wether it will help decrease pain if blood rushes to the area. If the area is already inflamed, more blood will only make the situation worse.

The reason I became a massage therapist

I guess that I've always loved to make people feel better. When I was young I would make faces at people or do funny voices to try to make them laugh. As I got older, I began to realize that people liked to be touched. I then observed that specific types of touch could really make people feel better and even relieve pain. I started to watch others give and receive massage. I would make mental notes when I received massage that felt good and attempt to copy those techniques. My friends and family were rather appreciative of my efforts, and many would joke about me becoming their personal massage therapist. I didn't really consider it as a career option though, and many years passed. During my teen years, I gained a greater understanding of the human body, and when I gave massage, it was more effective. I pursued other interests I had though, and still didn't consider massage therapy a viable career option. I thought that massage was just a luxury and the economy wouldn't allow me to make a living.

Then I volunteered for a Christian outreach program. For  6 months my teammates and I endeavored to serve in any capacity available to us. We worked part-time jobs, spoke God's Word, and hosted bible fellowships. One thing that I did in addition to those things was give massage. I saw that massage was really effective in relieving pain from stress and injury. I also saw that God was willing and able to work in me to help heal people. My part in the healing process became more apparent and more exciting. Still, I wasn't totally sure that massage was something I wanted to do for a living. Sure I liked working on people I already liked,  but what about those people that come in smelling worse than a locker-room at the end of a season or the people that have foot fungus? Would I have to work on them too? With those reservations, I decided not to go to school for massage. I had other career avenues in mind, namely, political journalism.

Thankfully, I wasn't able to find a university near me to get the degree I wanted in journalism. However, there was a local college where I would be able to study massage, and the program, though expensive, was only 9 months. I had been considering massage therapy for several years, so after discussing options with my husband, we decided to get more information. We stopped into the school and spoke to an admissions representative. She brought me in to meet the program director who told me about the subjects I would learn in school. I started getting excited. I would be learning all about the body, and how to cause beneficial changes within a person's body. I got really excited. Not to get my hopes up too much, I did more research about job prospects before committing to going to school. I found out that I would be able give medical style massage in a health care setting and there were plenty of openings for someone who was willing to study hard. With that knowlege in mind, I signed up for classes and enrolled that spring.

I found that I really enjoyed my classes. Even though there was a lot of information to process, I enjoyed the subject matter, and didn't mind putting in the work. I ended up making a 4.0 grade point average throughout my time at school, and graduated with honors. I passed my licensure test with flying, vibrant colors. I had a job lined up at Edwards Chiropractic before I finished school, so as soon as I had my license in hand, I was able to start working.

I may be biased, but I they do believe that I have the best job in the world. My clients come to me in pain due to various ailments or injuries, and I'm able to either decrease or eliminate that pain. Some clients come to me with limited range of motion or difficulty moving, and their bodies receive relief and are able to move how they should. Not everything can be remedied in one session. Longstanding patterns take longer to correct. However, one session is usually all it takes to experience at least a little relief. I love hearing about pain going away and people being able to do their favorite things with no pain!