1. Episodic outbreaks of joyful, happy experiences.
2. Increased appetite for physical activity.
3. Tendency to adapt to changing conditions.
4. Incurable sense of humor.
5. Repeated episodes of gratitude and generosity.
6. Persistent presence of support network.
7. Addiction to fresh, organic, unprocessed foods.
8. Driving desire to connect with a greater force such as nature or spirit.
9. Rapid response and recovery from stressful, challenging situations.
10. Compulsive attraction to people with all of the above warning signs.

So here’s how to do it:
Pick your favorite form of ice (or the least obnoxious). Choose ice cubes or crushed ice in a bag, flexible cryotherapy packs, blue gel packs, or even frozen peas. Basically, if it stays cold for 20 minutes, or so, then go ahead and use it. You can apply ice to your disgruntled body part every few hours for 20-30 minutes at a time. Expect to feel a cold sensation first, then burning, then aching, and lastly numbness. Doesn’t that sound fun? Yes, it works. Really, really. Remove the ice once you’ve reached the stage of numbness or you’ll start to get frostbite which would give you a whole new something to complain about.

• Your body floods the injured area with extra fluid to start the healing process
• The extra fluid causes swelling which makes it difficult to move your injured area
• The injured muscle, tendon, or ligament begins to spasm, releasing chemicals which make the area sore
• These chemicals build up in the area because the swelling has constricted blood flow
• This build-up creates an environment that causes the nerves to fire, sending the muscles into more spasm.

From this, a vicious cycle of spasm, congestion, and pain can evolve. Even though applying heat may feel good at the moment, it actually exacerbates the problem because the heat brings even more blood to the congested area and over stimulates the nerves supplying those muscles. When the heat is removed, the body cools off the area to return it to a normal temperature. The chilled muscles and the over stimulated nerves will often cause the muscles to continue to spasm.

If you apply ice for 20 minutes, it will numb the area and break the cycle of spasm. The cold sedates the nerves and causes the vessels to constrict, sending fluid and toxins away from the area. When the ice is removed, your body wants to bring the temperature back to normal and so flushes the area with fresh blood, bringing oxygen and nutrients to aid the healing process. The injured muscles are less likely to continue to spasm in this changed chemical environment.