Jump Stretch enthusiast rejects ice therapy for sprained ankles

By William K. Alcorn

Hartzell and his co-author favor compression and movement over ice and rest.

AUSTINTOWN — When it comes to treating sprained ankles, “ice belongs in the Ice Age,” says Richard Hartzell of Jump Stretch fame.

Ice is not only ineffective, it can actually delay the healing process from two to six weeks, he said, eschewing the traditional treatment for sprains and strains, which is RICE, an acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Hartzell, 70, owner of the Jump Stretch Fitness Center on Meridian Road, said resistance to his ice ideas comes primarily from doctors who follow the recommended protocol, which is RICE.

Protocol is a set of medical guidelines or rules for a medical treatment, which can carry the weight of law.

One thing Hartzell is definitely right about is that not everyone agrees with him about the value of ice in treating sprains.

Though he has doctors who endorse his theory, others believe just as strongly that RICE, or at least the ice portion of it, is the best treatment for sprains.

Dr. Edward McDevitt of Bay Area Orthopaedics and Annapolis Hand Center in Maryland says his experience has convinced him that ice is effective in reducing pain and swelling caused by sprains, and it does not inhibit healing.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.