By Leo Shveyd, co-owner of Advanced Wellness
Each of these topics deserves its own blog post. That being said, I thought I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention them here.
Electrical stimulation
Electrical stimulation uses electrodes connected to or around the injured site and powered by an electrical stimulation machine. This produces regional muscle contractions and promotes the blood cycle. The advantage of this technique is that after placing the electrodes on your body and turning on the machine, this approach requires very little physical effort. This is why I call compression, elevation, and electrical stimulation “lazy person movements.”
Immobilization of injuries
Once we understand the power of movement (whether appropriate or lazy), we can’t help but understand the ineffectiveness and inefficiency, and the downsides of immobility in most cases. without further intervention. Of course, bracing, casting, and immobilization can help with fractures, be used as a way to take weight off a painful site, protect an area from blows or impact, and help avoid painful movements. However, immobilization and rest can make a serious problem worse. We must do better!
Cryotherapy: using ice baths as a stressor
Cryotherapy, using ice/cold to cause stress, perhaps mental, is perfectly acceptable. Please do not do this when in an “injury state” or immediately after athletic exertion, in hopes of improving healing, recovery, and/or athletic performance, respectively. Keep your workout and your cryotherapy session as far apart as possible. The current line of thinking in the industry is to allow at least 1 hour between respective sessions. So with cold water immersion: do it for mental training but keep it away from athletic training. And again, don’t use it to heal or recover.
Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is done using elastic bands that partially restrict blood from the limbs to the heart. BFR training causes muscles to contract harder to pump blood to the heart, thereby stimulating the lymphatic drainage system. While I am by no means an expert on BFR, it makes sense as to why this would speed up healing and get you into it. some seemingly low-intensity sessions as a means of healing and/or recovery while being unable to train due to injury.
Using anti-inflammatory medications to promote healing
Finally, anti-inflammatory medications are a bigger problem than ice. While ice acts on the local tissues where it is applied, anti-inflammatories affect the entire system (e.g. organs, etc.). Do they have a place? Of course, but people consume them like candy without understanding the consequences on their body, their healing, their recovery and their sports performance. (Also, most people are not aware of turmeric and other natural remedies, or their anti-inflammatory properties. When taken in the appropriate dose with black pepper and a fat soluble, studies show that turmeric is as effective as pharmaceutical drugs at fighting inflammation…without the side effects.)
Summary of wound healing options other than ice
1. Proper Movement (isometric unloaded to loaded, using three planes of movement)
A. Unloaded movement
b. Loaded Isometric Movement
2. Sloth Movement
A. Electrical stimulation
b. Restriction of blood flow
c. 2 minute squeeze
d. Heat
e. elevation
f. Correct combinations of 2b., c., d. summer. above.