FOR years, a bag of frozen peas has been the layman’s immediate antidote to a sprain or swelling. Press it on the affected area and the relief is numbing but nice.
Now I know some folk have an ‘official’ ice pack handy in the freezer for those mishap moments. But I think frozen peas remain the cheaper and more efficient (malleable) option.
But now we’re being told they don’t work. Worse, they do more harm than good!
Well, that’s according to the scientist who came up with the term RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation – a Dr Gabe Mirkin, who seems to keep changing his mind on the matter.
Dr Mirkin recently told an Australian newspaper that a cold compression could delay healing, despite being a ‘safe pain medicine’. As a result, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) now says medics should stop using ice for bruises and sprains.
Hmm. Is it time for the health lobby to shut up? Hasn’t the Chartered Society got better things to do with its time? Should frozen peas be only for consumption, not cold comfort? Discuss!
