Do ice packs slow down healing?

[Slothboy]

I almost broke my big toe last week, I couldn’t move it for at least 2 days and it hurt so bad that I thought it was broken. But after a few days I was able to wriggle it a bit more so I guess it’s not broken.

After 4-5 days I started to put a bag of peas on it, just to see if it would have any effect to my pain, and after using the bag of frozen peas on it my toe hurt like a bitch for hours.

I know that you’re suppose to put ice on it in the few hours after the injury has occurred, but I didn’t do that and put it on there 4-5 days after.

My question is does putting ice on a injured muscle or bone actually slow down healing and cause more pain? The first time I put ice on it it did seem to give me some relief, but as I do it more and more it is causing me more pain. Should I stop? Should I use a heat pad instead?

Thanks

 

[RoidRage69]

Use both ice and heat. Heat after icing.

 

[Slothboy]

Use both ice and heat. Heat after icing.

True, ive been putting it in hot water after icing and it seems to reduce pain

 

[LevButlerov]

I almost broke my big toe last week, I couldn’t move it for at least 2 days and it hurt so bad that I thought it was broken. But after a few days I was able to wriggle it a bit more so I guess it’s not broken.

After 4-5 days I started to put a bag of peas on it, just to see if it would have any effect to my pain, and after using the bag of frozen peas on it my toe hurt like a bitch for hours.

I know that you’re suppose to put ice on it in the few hours after the injury has occurred, but I didn’t do that and put it on there 4-5 days after.

My question is does putting ice on a injured muscle or bone actually slow down healing and cause more pain? The first time I put ice on it it did seem to give me some relief, but as I do it more and more it is causing me more pain. Should I stop? Should I use a heat pad instead?

Thanks

True, ive been putting it in hot water after icing and it seems to reduce pain

@Slothboy usually you ice injuries after it happens, long term it might be counterproductive. It really depends on how bad it is, can you please share a pic of the toe?

@Slothboy you on cycle? tell us the situation please.

 

[stevesmi]

ice will slow down blood flow. this is why when you watch sports and they get an injury they get their injury iced down

heat will increase blood flow, this is why heating pads and hot baths work well for faster recovery.

also elevating the injury helps too. hence why the old cliche of the person with the broken leg has their leg in a sling up in the air in the hospital bed. gravity helps

 

[Wootoom]

Did you get your toe checked by a doctor?

You could have some soft tissue injury.

 

[Vadim Fedorov]

A clean break would be a lot better than hurting a ligament in your toe. That's probably what's going on.

 

[2Thick]

I would wear special shoes. They do sell them online.

You don't want to put a lot of pressure on your toe.

 

[e2]

You should put up a log journal and document. What happens with your toe in the future? We would love to track your progress on the injury recovery.

 

[StevenDarwinMD]

LOG APPROVED - PLEASE POST A LOG

 

[Ulter]

Ice can be very helpful but you don't want to overdo it. You want the blood to flow through to start the healing process

 

[chesty]

You should put up a log and show us the injury.

Recovery and repair can be dependent on the individual.

 

[ROIDDERS]

Keeping a healthy diet and resting is the best way to recover it quick. You should also elevate it as much as you can.

 

[ceo]

Bros If it's that bad, you should go to a doctor and have it checked.
It could be something more serious. Who knows?

 

[Mobster]

Use both ice and heat. Heat after icing.

100% this.

 

[Slothboy]

It happened 10 days ago now, for the first five days there was significant bruising and swelling and it looked pretty bad like it was broken, but now it has gone down massively so posting a photo of it won’t show anything.

Basically it still hurts really bad and i cant walk properly on it, but it is slowly getting better day by day, and whenever I have a hot shower it feels better too.

These questions might sound stupid but ill ask them anyway. What is soft tissue damage? I’m guessing hard tissue is bone?

Should I continue to ice and heat it? Or just heat it?

I don’t really want to waste time going to a doctor, especially since it is getting better. Still hurts like fuck though. And a broken/damaged toe is kind of like a broken rib, there’s nothing you can really do for it, just let it heal and try to stay off it as much as possible.

I’m not on a cycle, btw. Usually i walk 10-15km a day but that has slowed down since the injury. I did go to the gym once after the injury and you would be surprised by how much we use our big toe in general sit down weightlifting exercises . It’s hard to get proper form when you can’t use one of your big toes, in any lift that you do.

Thanks guys your responses have really help with my physical and mental wellbeing.

 

[Slothboy]

Also, I recently shoplifted a jar of quality bone broth from the supermarket, being high in collagen protein would this help with bone/ligament/joint healing? I know a lot of people say that collagen isn’t beneficial for muscle growth, what do you guys think about it?

 

[stevesmi]

Also, I recently shoplifted a jar of quality bone broth from the supermarket, being high in collagen protein would this help with bone/ligament/joint healing? I know a lot of people say that collagen isn’t beneficial for muscle growth, what do you guys think about it?

i would recommend making your own bone broth at home. a lot of times they add a lot of junk to the products at the supermarket which actually slows down recovery

 

[stevesmi]

These questions might sound stupid but ill ask them anyway. What is soft tissue damage? I’m guessing hard tissue is bone?

soft tissues are tendons/ligaments.

unfortunately they are tough to recover from and take a long time vs. just a clean bone break. and they can also require surgery where it will never heal properly

you would need a doctor to diagnose that with an MRI.. an xray will just show bone issues

 

[Slothboy]

i would recommend making your own bone broth at home. a lot of times they add a lot of junk to the products at the supermarket which actually slows down recovery

The one I got is a quality one with only grassfed bones and collagenous tissue and no other ingredients other than sea salt