The restorative powers of ice

[peregrina2000]

I don't mean to prosthelytize, but having converted at least a half dozen on the Vdlp to the wonders of ice and cold, it seemed like a worthy pitch to make here.

When you stop for a rest, take off your boots and socks. It cools your feet and lets them shrink back down. On my first Camino, I never took off my boots mid-day because of the fear that I wouldn't be able to get my feet back in the boot. That's not what happens, just try it.

Even better than taking off your boots is soaking your feet in a stream, river, or fountain. Short soaks of 5-10 minutes do wonders. Several formerly skeptical people told me they will always think of me when they find a stream on a hike.

Icing at the end of the day is great for prevention and for easing soreness. Shin pains (tendonitis?) are eased immensely with a bag of ice for 10-15 minutes, but don't overdo it. One French woman told me it had been the miracle cure for her shins. This is such a commonly used treatment among athletes here in the US but seems rare in Europe (at least among the people I met).

I find that bartenders are almost always more than happy to give you ice. I carry a plastic grocery bag in my fanny pack and just ask them for some hielo, explaining that it's for my feet. In the best of times, I take the ice outside to a nice table in the shade and enjoy a beer, trying to find a spot where the melting ice will not run under everyone's table. But if it's bad weather, it means being a bit more creative with where to use the ice, since it inevitably will drip.

Buen camino a todos, Laurie

 

[lynnejohn]

Thanks for the advice Laurie - I absolutely agree!

Also agree with the "don't overdo" part. Physios say 15 min on, and 15 min off is usually OK, but the real test is that your skin should have warmed up again before re-applying the ice.

The sealable bags are good for ice as you don't get as much leakage, and they're already on my packing list!

lynne

 

[JohnnieWalker]

just to endorse the point...like Laurie I never took my boots off at the beginning until I had to to deal with the blisters Nowadays it takes a lot to prevent me removing shoes and socks and plunging my feet into cold streams, lavaderos, under fuentes or anywhere there is cold water.

On the VdlP in the beginning I walked too far too often. When I limped into Carcoboso I had a soft tissue injury which took some months to heal properly. The foot doctor gave me the simple treatment of applying ice - preferably directly onto the skin - 15 mins on, 15 off as Lynn says. His view was that gel pads just aren't cold enough. His tip was to fill a styrofoam cupo with water, freeze it and apply - trimming the cup as the ice melts.

 

[LTfit]

Great advice Pelegrina2000! I love ice and recommend it to all my patients (am a fysio). Years back went to a running clinic for a week on Lanzarote. After each long run we would stand in an ice cold pool up to our thighs. It did wonders - rarely had muscle ache - even after 20+ km running!

Funny that you bring this up now as I will be starting next week and had been wondering if there were rivers, streams, etc. along the Camino to waddle in.

Cheers,
LT

 

[+@^^]

hi Peregrina2000
i think your method is great
? is it possible to skip the ice bit and just have a few cold beers
! i hear it works better from the inside