What Do Rice And Pineapples Have To Do With Healing From Injuries?

When we get injured, the experience can be frustrating and very inconvenient. For a Portland Chiropractor, the injured patient is reminded of how fragile their body can be, and just how much they rely on it for simple everyday activities. It can really shift our perspective from our day-to-day duties to our health when we suffer an injury.

What do pineapples and rice have to do with getting injured? It doesn't matter what kind of injury we are talking about, whether an ankle sprain, whiplash from a recent car accident injury, stubbing our toe during the night, or a slip and fall at work, our body will go through the same steps in an attempt to heal us. The signs of the body's attempt are pain, redness, swelling, and heat at the affected site.

So where do rice and pineapples play a part? Let's start with rice. RICE is an acronym that tells us what to do to speed recovery.

R is for rest. We want to rest the affected area. If it is an ankle, then sit down or lay down. If it is a shoulder, then lay down or get the arm into a sling to take the weight off of the shoulder.

I is for ice. Icing involves placing actual ice, or something frozen such as a bag of frozen peas, onto the injured area. Make sure there is at least one layer of fabric, like a thin towel or old t-shirt is between the frozen object and our skin, or we can get burned by the ice. Ice for 20 minutes or until numb, whichever comes sooner. Then take 60 minutes off from icing. Repeat as often as necessary to lessen pain and prevent swelling.

C is for compression. We aren't talking about high compreseion, such as in a tourniquet. The goal is to apply mild pressure. Compression is best applied to a bleeding wound. It may not be of much benefit to a strain, bruise, or sprain.

E is for elevation. By elevating the affected area above the level of the heart, you will decrease blood pressure at the injury. This is beneficial because it lessens swelling, and decreases the pain that is caused by swelling.
One of the benefits of RICE is to decrease swelling and its consequences. This matters because the more swelling we have, the longer it generally takes to heal, the more redness and pain we'll see, and the longer it will take to restore full mobility to the affected area.

So how about those pineapples? I mention pineapples because there is a supplement that is made from pineapples that will also work to lessen pain and swelling, and speed recovery. It's called bromelain, and can be found most anywhere supplements are sold. This supplement is beneficial when we're injured because it lowers inflammation, helps the body clear away dead tissue, and speeds up the healing process.

One other important thing to discuss, is whether or not you should see a doctor for your injury. Usually the answer is a resounding "Yes"! Chiropractors are your best bet for dealing with injuries, since they specialize in the kind of physical medicine needed to prevent loss of function after your injury heals.

These post-injury function losses include lessened ability to use the joint, extra scar tissue preventing proper muscle and ligament function, and a lessened ability to coordinate the movements of the previously injured area. So do yourself a favor, and visit your Portland Chiropractor as soon as possible after your injury.