Last weekend my husband, my brother, his children and a few friends and I went to Pulaski, N.Y. to see the salmon run. My brother rolled his ankle while walking down to the river. His ankle swelled to the size of a melon which got me thinking: Do people know the best way to care for an injury like that?

The first thing to know is that there are two basic types of injury — acute and chronic. An acute injury is defined as one that has rapid or sudden onset. The pain is typically short-lived. A chronic injury is one that develops over time and is long-lasting.

When treating an acute injury, you use cold; when treating a chronic injury, you use heat.

Acute injuries are often accompanied by swelling and inflammation; the application of ice will help reduce those symptoms and the pain. You can usually ice an injury as often as you like but here is the key: only apply the ice for 15 minutes at a time; then allow the skin to warm up in between applications. And do not place the ice directly on your skin; the best thing to do is wrap it in a towel.

If you apply ice for longer than 15 minutes, your body’s natural defenses will kick in and try to warm the area by bringing more blood there. At that point, the ice pack will do the opposite of what you want it to do. It will cause more swelling.

Chronic injuries are often accompanied by sore, still muscles or joint pain. This type of pain can be relieved by warming the injury to increase elasticity of the joint connective tissues and to stimulate blood flow. Heat can be applied for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

And, of course, sports injuries and the pain that accompanies them can also be treated by a chiropractor.

Monica S. Nowak, D.C.
Chiropractic Center of Canaan
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860 824-0748

Reprinted with permission from the writer.