Football pains..hot or cold?

[Bonibelle]

My 15 year old has started an unbelievable two weeks of football practice.  They start at 6:50 A.M., break at 11 and resume from 4 P.M. until 8....He is really washed out when day is done.  Somehow his highschool has managed to snag an ex-Eagles trainner for these kids. During that afternoon break, he has a chill tub set up for the kids to use. It is a blow-up pool (big soft side pool) full of ice water...My kid comes home, rests up a bit  and goes in the hot tub at 100 degrees.  I say the heat is better for the overtaxed muscles. And the jets offer therapy for his legs and back, where the ice pool can only offer a chilling experience.He uses the tub before the afternnon session starts and again before he goes to bed. Anyone know what the idea is behind the chill tank?

[wmccall]

Chill tanks help reduce inflammation that is there or may result of overwork or injury. By the time he gets back home he may be ready for a hot soak.

[rick_in_cleveland]

For injuries its cold for 48 hrs to decrease the inflamation then hot after that.  You have an ex-profootball trainer running the program.  I would get his opinion...Thats why someone is paying him the big bucks

[TN__HOT_TUB]

I doubt they are paying him big bucks at a high school...nonetheless.  

The chill pool is a great idea.  Reducing the inflamation is why it is there and that is very good advice (even for folks that haven't "injured" themselves).

Here is a pretty good idea regarding treament of sports injuries.  I'd say the hot tub is not so much there to treat an injury so much as it is there to relax him and improve the way he feels (which is half the battle).
http://www.iahsaa.org/wu01-1.htm

You got him doing the right thing.  Chill pool at practice and hot tub before bed (not that he probably needs any help falling to sleeep).

[Saycheese]

For a long answer... try runnersweb.com and do a site serch for hydrotherapy.