Every athlete gets hurt. Its just part of the deal. Injuries can come and go (usually come) over the course of the season and gather up over the course of a career. High school, college and professional team training staffs are at the gym longer than coaching staffs. Whats the general remedy? Ice. Ice has always been used in athletics as a fix all. We have refrigerated and frozen meat forever. We have taken that thought process and applied it to the human body and based on the research, it may not be the best course of action. 

Inflammation, or swelling is an indication of a health issues. For athletes inflammation in joints can be debilitating and crippling. Doctors and trainers can prescribe many things but ice seems to be the most prominent as a treatment. I have had knees problems since I was 11 years old. I wish I could tell you that ice had a positive impact on my body. In fact, the only positive is the numbing affect.

The body has a natural intelligent response to dis-ease and trauma. Sports cause trauma. The body rushes white blood cells to traumatized areas of the body, heating and healing the impacted areas causing inflammation. That inflammation is what causes the stiffness that athletes feel. Icing these areas does not help the body heal. Here are some alternatives: