Ice or heat? As straightforward as this question sounds, these two choices are often points of hot debate amongst athletes attempting to soothe injured body parts.
Yet despite strong arguments from both sides, here’s the simple truth: ice and heat both have their advantages and neither is a cure-all. Therefore, the safest bet to heal sports-induced injuries is to understand which method works best for what conditions and when.
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It is not normal to be puffy after a long ride or any other form of exercise. Your doctor should check for kidney problems, hormone abnormalities or diabetes. If these tests are normal, you drank way too much during your ride and are lucky that you only suffered from excess fluid retention. You could have developed hyponatremia, a serious condition that can kill you.
Normal healthy kidneys have a limit to how rapidly they can rid your body of excess fluid. If you take in more fluid than your kidneys can clear, fluid accumulates in your blood and dilutes the salt level. Since fluid moves from an area of low salt to high salt, and your brain has far more salt than your blood does; the fluid will move into your brain to causes swelling, seizures and even death.
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The term “runner’s knee” refers to an inflammation of the tendon, the (ITB), that is located on the outside of the thigh. As injury to this tendon often results from overuse of the knees, and runner’s rely on their knees to function within their sport, the title “runner’s knee” is quite appropriate. The name is, however, deceptively exclusive as runner’s knee describes an ailment common among individuals who are active in a spectrum of activities such as biking, walking, or jumping.
As mentioned above, the inflammation of the ITB can be a result of overuse or overstretching of the tendon in any activity that requires repeated knee bending. Misalignment is also a factor in the injury. If a bone is out of it’s correct position, then the excess stress being placed elsewhere can result in the pulling and inflammation of the ITB. The tendon can also undergo stress because of weak thigh muscles or a direct injury to the knee such as a fall or a blow. Runners with flat feet, or fallen arches, often have knee problems as the ITB is forced to stretch in order to compensate for the missing arch.
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Product: Contour Pak’s Cold Pak
Price: $19.95
Rating: Excellent 9.0/10.0
Pros: Stays in place; easy-to-use; versatile; effective; stays cold longer than other cold compresses; washable, durable, can be used without a paper towel or other protective barrier
Cons: None
Overall: The most effective and well-designed mechanism for treating minor injuries with cold therapy.
Cold therapy is a an excellent treatment option because it can prevent new injuries, accelerate the healing process, relieve pain and reduce swelling. Unfortunately, traditional cold compresses are only effective for a short period of time, force you to remain in one place and can be difficult to use on certain parts of your body. That’s why we were so impressed with Contour Pak’s Cold Pak - a gel pack that manages to avoid all the traditional cold therapy pitfalls.
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Doctors often inject cortisone-type medications into painful damaged joints and tendons. Single injections can relieve pain and swelling and appear to be safe, but many studies show that repeated injections can damage joints and delay healing. Most doctors will recommend having no more than three injections into the same joint in a lifetime.
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