The cold metal device cutmen use for swelling

[CubanGuyNYC]

I found this on boxrec:

An enswell (sometimes called an "end-swell") is a small piece of metal used by a second, corner or cutman to apply pressure to an injury to reduce swelling. An enswell may be solid metal (usually stainless steel) and kept cool within icewater, or may be constructed with a hollow chamber to hold water and pre-frozen or filled with ice. Proper use of the enswell is to apply light pressure and hold the tissue in normal position, as the cold slightly constricts the capillaries to reduce ancillary swelling. Excessive pressure, or attempts to "iron out" a bruise, will only damage tissue further and exacerbate the bruise or contusion.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Enswell

Both in the Morales and Vargas fights, the cutman was applying excessive pressure.

How often do you think someone knows what they're doing, just because they're on TV, or in a position of power or authority? I've seen all kinds of things being performed improperly, and heard all manner of nonsense from people who ought to know better.

I always wondered if pressing into a swollen eye with the "endswell" was the right thing to do. Like many people, I just kind of shrugged and didn't give it much more than a cursory thought. Now that you brought it up, Natas, it makes sense that applying heavy pressure, and trying to "spread" the swelling, would only exacerbate the situation.

Every time I see a cut-man trying to reduce the swelling on his fighter's eye, I'm reminded of the idiot in Mike Tyson's corner during the Douglas fight. The guy was desperately pressing a condom filled with ice-water against Tyson's puffy left eye. True story....

[CubanGuyNYC]

Honestly, it would seem that common sense that aggravating an injury would cause it to swell more. Why would you push down on a bruise or a swollen injury? Especially with a hard object? I would think that just applying something cold would cause the swelling to go down. Not raking it across the injury.

Absolutely...it's counterintuitive. Either the man performing the act is ignorant, incompetent, or both. There are probably some instances where the cut-man is so charged up that he presses into the swelling out of stress or adrenaline, even though he knows better.

[CubanGuyNYC]

i read or heard someone explain it that the cold metal press works great.
but not on the injures morales, rahman and the others had.
i think they call those, i'm going to butcher this word, hematoses.
supposedly they actualy don't hurt.

A hematoma is similar to, but not the same as, the common swelling we generally see in a fight. Hematomas are caused by a burst blood vessel and usually contain clotted, or partially clotted, blood. An "endswell" would be virtually useless in such cases. Hematomas are often drained of fluid to reduce swelling (as in the first "Rocky").

[deuce_drop]

morales's eye was a swollen eye, vargas's eye was a hematoma, big difference.

as for the enswell, i've been told by a couple of cutmen a long time ago, that you want to apply it firmly, but not too much, and try and move the blood from collecting in the damaged area, by pushing it to the side, the only thing is, the time they have to do it is less then enough time to really be effective, and also, i was told, depending how much a fighter is weight drained plays a big role how bad swelling can get, no water to absorb the impact as well as protect the damaged area, the blood rushes there quicker to take its place.......

not sure if this is a 100% correct, or if it even applies to what is really being asked, but this is what i know about this topic that i can recall of the top of my head at the moment.