What Do Pineapples And Rice Have To Do With Healing From Injuries?
Inuries can be a real point of frustation. 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 force us to do a 180 from focusing on our external lives to our health when we suffer an injury.
So how do pineapples and rice help us when we get 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 redness, pain, swelling, and heat at the affected site.
So where do pineapples and rice play a part? Let’s start with rice. RICE is an acronym that reminds us of what to do to lessen the formation of the signs mentioned in the last paragraph, and to speed along our healing .
R is for rest. The affected area should be rested. If it is a shoulder, then lay down or get the arm into a sling to take the weight off of the shoulder. If it is an ankle, then sit down or lay down.
I is for ice. Icing involves placing something frozen such as a bag of frozen peas, or actual ice, onto the injured area. Always be sure there is at least one layer of fabric, like an old t-shirt or thin towel 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 a 60 minute break with no ice. Repeat as often as necessary to lessen pain and prevent swelling.
C is for compression. We aren’t talking about 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 bruise, strain, 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 lessens swelling and decreases the pain that is associated with swelling.
One of the benefits of RICE is to decrease the consequences of swelling. The more swelling we have, the longer it will take to heal, the more pain and redness we’ll see, and the longer it will take to restore full mobility to the affected area.
So how about pineapples? I mention pineapples because there is a supplement that is made from the skins of pineapples that will also decrease pain and swelling, and speed recovery. It’s called bromelain, and can be found most any place that has a decent supplement selection. This supplement is beneficial when we’re injured because it lowers inflammation, helps the body clear away dead tissue, and speeds up the process of healing.
It is important to discuss whether or not you should see a doctor for your injury. In most cases, the answer is a resounding “Yes”! Your best bet for dealing with injuries are Chiropractors, 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 decreased 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.


