Cold Therapy

Cool Fact: Your body naturally rejects ailments that could remove yourself from the flight-or-fight instinct when trapped in a pain cycle. Humans once ancestrally required fight-or-flight to push us into ehhhh just fair enough health to stay in motion and out of harm’s way from predators. But this is a reflex that most first world humans no longer require. Which is why it is imperative to treat yourself regularly with self and preventative care; relaxing the body and mind fosters an environment to break through the pain cycle.

This time of year, as the temperature drops, most people who struggle to find space for regular stretching, exercise, preventive healthcare, or suffer from a chronic injury, will find themselves drastically “achy” in the low back, hips, thighs and ankles. This is because your body has found itself stuck in the pain cycle. You are experiencing chronic muscle tension from lack of selfcare or acute injury; closing the joints, obstructing blood highways which negatively impacting your circulation. This in return, causes swelling otherwise know as fluid stagnation, generating pressure on the nervous system causing that severe deep “bone aching” pain.

Now one would naturally think to themselves, “I should take a bath or move somewhere warmer.” But the mind is the ultimate troll in this scenario; getting you hyped into thinking warmth will solve all your problems because it is THE token for happiness, when you should be reaching for a cold towel every time your low back aches or feet feel swollen. When we associate certain attributes or naturalities with negativity our body will instinctively brace against those qualities. In this case the fresh cold air is a “no-no” in one's mind, so the body instinctively guards at the first sign of chill; causing joints to obstruct even more than one's regular disposition. If you allow your mind to embrace the cold you will find yourself in a more pleasant nature. Cold therapy dismantles the pain cycle by reducing nasty swelling that places pressure on the nervous system. If you find yourself sore to the touch anywhere on the body with or without sign of bruising, try applying 15-20 minutes of ice to the area and I swear you’ll thank me.