Icing

[Mig]

[Asmo]

[Mig]

[TenTigers]

[laukarfei]

[ironpalm]

[Frank Bolte]

[JE]

Medically speaking - from the perspective of Chinese medicine - Ice is obviously cold... cold causes a constriction of qi. The concern when treating trauma is that that too much cold will drive the stagnant blood deeper into the body or joints. This is what TT stated. Absolutely correct according to CM theory.

That said, dit da uses cold herbs to treat acute trauma. Just look at Tom's Three Yellows Powder. He even calls it herbal ice if I remember correctly. The difference is that cold will not be used alone in Chinese medicine - it must be combined with medicinals that also move blood and qi. In Western traumatology sometimes ice is used alone and that is the part that can be critiqued from the perspective of CM.

The second critique of ice is to use it on an old injury. New injuries are hot and inflammed - old are cold and stiff. The standard of practice in Western physical therapy to use ice on old injuries is completely flawed (in my opinion). Here we want warmth and increased circulation.

To replace ice we use dit da jow. I use different formulas for training and for actual injuries. The function of the herbs needs to match the function of the formula - a rather obvious fact that is often overlooked. But is certainly why you can see so many jow formulas.

For more serious injuries we will use plasters or poultices. Acupuncture and Tui Na can also be good tools. Just like seeing an osteopath, orthopod, or PT when you get injured in the West.

As far as CM being archaic or Western medicine being out of touch... both are very functional in well trained hands... medicine is all about tools in a tool chest - a hammer is no better than a screwdriver, unless you need to put in a nail...

[ironpalm]

[mike_l]

[Asmo]