Hi All

It seems I got more than the ball rolling!!!

If I may clear something up. I don't believe that anyone in this thread has ever doubted the use of cryotherapy or that it is effective, I think the idea was to explore the possibilities of, if not alternative, then different methods of use of ice in an acute injury. There was never any criticism of any research, just bouncing ideas off the wall. If any Physios were confused by this I apologise, but I think free thinking is what we are all about, and we are entitled to question things no matter how apparently secure the research may be. Those that follow mainstream research and news will obviously base their approach on what they are exposed to. This does not mean there are no other ways.

As a matter of interest on the question of vasodilatation and sympathetic control, the body is full of what is termed 'reciprocal blood flows',(Dr Frederick Erdman-The Control of the Circulation) meaning if one area of the vascular system constricts another area must dilate to restore blood pressure, as the vascular system is a closed system and thus a set volume of blood. If there is fault in the function of the sympathetic nervous system blood flow can be altered in areas of poor control (vasodilatation or constriction) but this must be countered by an opposite reaction in another part of the body to maintain balance and BP. So applying eg cold over the skin of the spine causes local constriction, but the reciprocal blood vessels in the muscles dilate. The longer the cold is left on the deeper the response. This function allows the body to move volumes of blood around the body to areas in demand, an extreme example being the flight or fight reaction. Therefore we might need to be more circumspect when applying ice or heat, and be aware of reciprocal reactions. This is just a different way of looking at circulation and makes me wonder if traditional approaches can be improved upon or not.

In conclusion, as I have mentioned before that my general question has never been how ice affects the body in injury time, but whether it is beneficial in the repair process as a whole in terms of fascilitating optimum healing.

Cheers

Pete