It's spring time where I live. When I drive parks on I see people out having a blast - playing tennis, shooting hoops, or chucking a ball around. Some of the people I see seem to be pretty seasoned. Some I can tell are more the "weekend warrior type."

And I worry about them. And I worry about you.

Imagine you're out with your peeps playing a friendly game of beach volley ball or perhaps you're going for several hour long hikes for the first time in decades. Regardless of the specific type your body doesn't love this burst of activity it's not trained for (anymore) and something - an ankle or a hammy or a wrist bends or stretches too far under force and BOOM! You're sprained, strained or something.

Yikes.

So my question is, are you making your injuries worse?

Yikes. I hope not.

Your first thought, "Ice!" right?

That's the dogma.
R - Rest
I - Ice
C - Compress
E - Elevate

I always though it funny that ICE was part of the acronym in 2 ways. Anyhoo...

Ice can be useful to numb the pain but it also inhibits the body's natural response to injury - which is inflammation.

Each component of inflammation serves a purpose - the swelling is fluid moving into the area to bring healing white blood cells and other important nutrients.

The heat is an attempt to neutralize any invaders (think of it like a local fever).

The pain and loss of function means you're less likely to move it (but silly us we often take pain meds or ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES so we're able to amble around when our wise body wants us to be RESTING).

And the redness is the skin's response to the vasodilation - blood vessels opening beneath it.

I like the idea of working with the body's natural inclinations instead of trying to stop them. Again these symptoms are just your body's way of telling you something (in this case to rest.)

So while ice can be valuable, ancient naturopathic wisdom tells us to use it very strategically, in conjunction with nature's healing plan.

Here's how you can use nature's wisdom to heal from injuries faster

Try applying heat and THEN ice in a 3:1 ratio. Three minutes heat, one minute cold for 3 cycles all together (a total of 12 minutes).

Then take a break.

If the injured part is submersible (ankles or hands work well but hammies are a bit harder), do this as a series of dunks. Get 2 buckets and fill one with hot water and one with ice water. Dunk in the hot and cold in the ratio I described above. Then rest 30 minutes.

The hot application supports the body's natural response to the injury. But this hot-water enhanced reflex only has so much staying power (about 3 minutes worth) before it gets lazy. The introduction of the short cold blast re-instigates the blood vessels' ability to improve circulation to the area. It's like rebooting the reflex - giving it a kick in the pants.

This is called hydrotherapy and it works WITH the body's natural healing response.

Other things that can help heal injuries include Vitamin C and Zinc which support collagen production and repair. Topical applications of herbs like witch hazel, comfrey, and arnica can really help too. These often come in handy, hypoallergenic creams. Check at your local health food store.

And if you're super advanced? Put these healing herbs in the hot water dunking bucket. Lets get healing crazy!

It's also always a good idea to warm up and cool down before and after exercise. Stretching is also important to prevent injuries. Now. Go have fun!

I'd love to know how these tips help you with your injuries this spring and summer. Feel free to comment below!

To your healthy, thriving, delightful life!