Icing an injury is a common practice that has been around forever, and knowing how long and where to ice the injury can help the healing process.
Icing an injury can help to reduce swelling and pain. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that applying ice to an injury can limit the damage by lowering the temperature of the tissue at the injury site. The change in temperature causes the blood vessels to constrict to limit bleeding. At the same time, icing impacts the nerves endings and synapses to reduce pain.
While all that is helpful, icing for too long interferes with the healing process and may cause additional problems to develop. Icing is a critical step in first-aid for an injury, but it’s important to do it right.
Icing is a tried-and-true method for reducing pain and swelling to an injury site, but only if you follow the proper steps to get the most benefit from it. It is also most effective when applied quickly after the injury occurs.
Consider these tips for proper icing:
Although ice is a good choice for many kinds of injuries, it is not always right. Generally speaking, use ice for acute injuries such as:
You can ice most injuries right after they happen. However, heat is a better choice for chronic problems such as arthritis or other forms of joint pain. Heat encourages the healing of damaged tissue and causes blood vessels to dilate, improving the circulation around a problem area.
Follow the RICE method to keep the injury from becoming more serious. RICE is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This method offers steps that go beyond just icing.
For instance:
These steps plus icing will help your injury heal.
Finally, if your injury gets worse, let your doctor know. Worse can mean:
Other symptoms develop, such as redness on the skin, bleeding, or the area becomes hot to the touch.
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