Full Answer
How long should you ice an injury?
Generally, 10–20 minutes of continuous ice therapy can be followed with an hour or more of rest. How Long Should You Ice an Injury? Experts recommend icing an injury repeatedly during the first 2 days of its occurrence, for no more than 20 minutes at a stretch at an interval of 2–3 hours.
How long should you use ice on your face?
Try ice therapy in multiple short sessions of 10–20 minutes with a period of rest in between to allow blood to flow back into the area. (6) Forgetting to protect the skin: Directly applying ice to one area of skin for too long can lead to skin damage or frostbite.
How do you use ice for soft tissue injuries?
Fill each cup with water and freeze. Once the ice is frozen, the paper rim can be peeled away to expose a small amount of the ice, which can be gently massaged onto the soft tissue injury for a short duration. Keep peeling the paper cup to expose more ice as needed. Continuously move the ice to avoid contact with one area of skin for too long.
What is ice therapy used for?
Ice therapy is typically used in the treatment of sudden traumatic injuries, sports injuries, overuse injuries, and muscle spasms. Ice therapy has also been used in the treatment of some types of chronic injuries. Repetitive motions and high-impact exercise can expose certain areas of the body to repetitive stress.
Ice Massage
"When the body has long remained in contact with cold substances, such as cold air and cold water, the real effects of the cold are seen. If the body becomes thoroughly chilled, its various functions are slowed and depressed....
Physiologic Effects
Blood flow to the part is greatly decreased at first, then greatly increased with exercise after the ice massage.