We all might have administered hot / thermo treatment immediately after any small or big injury during course of our life... sometimes or the other.
There is a big myth that HOT treatment gives us instant relief after pain or injury. It may be in any form either hot water bottle , or hot pack / hydrocollater pack etc. which are easily available in markets these days.If not any hot pack, people advice you to put your handkercheif after puffing some warm air in it and placing it on your injured part.
Although this is NOT at all true.
Studies show that giving hot treatment immediately after an injury leads to increase in vascular/blood supply to the injured tissue which in turn causes an increase in enzymes at the injury leading to more swelling up of the affected part.This causes an increase in pain and tenderness as well as triggers the inflammation which causes redness , increase in bleeding (if an open wound) and discolouration of the skin too.
Therefore we all should strictly AVOID heating our body parts and advise others too.
Now coming to the infamous COLD treatment after injury. People usually think that cold will give you less recovery and would even harm you more but this is NOT true.
•The primary reason for using cold in
acute injury to lower the temperature in injured area, this helps the injured
tissue survive the hypoxia and limits further tissue injury.
Using cold immediately after any injury will lead to vasoconstriction / decrease in the diameter of blood vessels leading to a diminished blood flow to the affected part thus decreasing swelling and also diminishing inflammation which in turn causes less pain and controls bleeding. Also it causes
an instant pain relief via sending cold impulses through the spinal cord and inhibiting pain signals to the brain thus creating an instant pain relief on the affected part.
Therefore we come to a conclusion that we always have to use COLD PACKS after every injury be it small or big, any muscle pull or sprain , strain etc.
If you have cold packs it is well and good. You can make one at home for an emergency via placing some ice cubes on a dry towel and wrapping atleast two layers of the same towel on them.Now you can place it on the affected body part and relax for about 10 - 20 mins.
CAUTION : You should take care that time does not exceed 20 mins as the ice pack reverses its effect and now gives the properties of cold pack after 20 mins get over.
Hunting response:
§When cold is applied for longer
periods of time or when tissue temperatures reaches less than 10°
C vasodilation may occur. (Cold induced
vasodilation)
EFFECTS OF COLD PACKS:
Decreased
nerve conduction velocity:
§Cold decreases the nerve
conduction velocity of both sensory and motor nerve.
§It is also possible that cold bombards
central pain receptors areas with so many cold impulses that pain impulses are
lost.
Increased
pain threshold:
§Cold depresses the excitability of free
nerve endings and peripheral nerve fibers, and this increases the pain
threshold.
Reduction
in muscle guarding:
§Reduction in muscle guarding relative to
acute trauma has been observed by all active athletic trainer.
§The literature reviews indicates various
reason with common thought of decreased muscle spindle activity.
Decreased
spasticity:
§Cold applications can enhance
voluntary control in spastic conditions.
§It can temporary decrease spasticity.
§These changes are thought to be caused by
a decrease in the discharge from the afferent spindles and GTO’s as a result of
decreased muscle temperature.
Decreased
metabolic rate:
§The application of cold decreases cell
permeability, decreases cellular metabolism .
Decreased
edema:
§Cold controls increase in capillary
permeability and reduces the intravascular pressure.
Flexible Homemade Ice Pack
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol or high-proof vodka (I used Everclear)
- food coloring for the blue tint (optional)
- 2 zip-top bags – quart or gallon-size or vacuum sealer bags
Mix the water and alcohol together in one of your zip-top bags and add food coloring, if desired, until you get that perfect blue tint. Next, release as much air as possible and seal the bag. I recommend double bagging for strength. (If you have a vacuum sealer use a
vacuum seal bag for the outer layer to further prevent accidents.) My trusty
Foodsaver works like a charm. After my leaky bag/wet pillow incident I wasn’t taking any chance.
Stick your new flexible homemade alcohol ice pack in the freezer for about 12 hours before using it for the first time. Once frozen it will be icy, a little slushy, and perfectly flexible for any body injury that needs the cold treatment.
NOTE: When you use this be sure to put a cloth between your skin and the pack – these are very cold!
A Few Tips and Tricks
If you use a quart size zip-top bag, your ice pack will be more square shaped, and a gallon-size will give you a longer more narrow pack. Use whichever you prefer. I like the gallon size better because they wrap around body parts better.
Different alcohols will give different results. Rubbing alcohol is around 70% alcohol, and the Everclear I used is about 95% alcohol. So, you may want to freeze the inner bag first to make sure you like the amount of flexibility before committing to permanent double-bagging. The general rule is – more alcohol = slushier ice pack.
Cost Savings Breakdown
The savings for making your own homemade ice pack is significant. Flexible ice packs generally run between $10 and $14 a piece. The approximate material costs (at time of writing) for the homemade pack are:
- Water – 2¢
- Rubbing Alcohol – 75¢
- Gallon zip top bag – 13¢
- Food Vacuum Sealer Bag – 38¢
Total Cost: – $1.28
Total Savings: – $8.72-$13.72, or 87%-91%.
