Thursday, June 19th, 2014 Should you use ice or heat to treat an injury? One of the most common questions I get is whether ice or heat is best for pain and injuries. Well, it depends. Both can be beneficial at different times. The following are some guidelines on when to utilize each. The safest choice for treatment of injuries is ice. This method is best for injuries or pain that is less than 24 hours old, or any injury that continues to produce swelling. Ice decreases pain and provides vasoconstriction (closing of small blood vessels). This helps limit the amount of swelling that occurs immediately after the injury. It also has a calming effect on nerves, which can decrease pain. Ice or cold packs should never be put directly on the skin due to the risk of frostbite. In fact, cold packs can be even colder than natural ice. Neither ice nor cold packs should be used for longer than 30 minutes. To get added results for treatment of swelling, elevate the area being iced. Ice Tips: •Rub the ice cube over the affected area until it melts completely. •Soak a thin washcloth in cold water. Wring it out and place over the affected area. Place a bag of frozen vegetables or bagged ice on top. If you want, use an Ace wrap to hold it in place. •For hands or feet, soak in a bucket or bowl of icy water for 5-15 minutes. Contrast baths (alternating heat and ice) are popular with athletes who need to reduce swelling in the extremities very quickly. This method promotes the opening and closing of blood vessels to pump swelling out of the area. It’s done by having two buckets, one with warm (not hot) water and one with cold (not icy) water, in which the extremity is placed for a total of 45 minutes, moving it directly from one bath to another every 5-10 minutes. This technique is not used to reduce pain. How long should I wait between 15-minute ice session? Wait until the skin is completely back to normal in appearance and temperature. This usually takes about 60 minutes, depending on the individual’s response. Never reapply ice before the skin has completely recovered. Remember Ice is nice!!!
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 04:35:02 +0000
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