In the spirit of the weather turning cold lets talk ice. It is one of the most effective treatments of injuries such as strains and sprains. We massage practitioners emphasize this until the cows come home. You hear us do this because it works. It makes all the difference in the world on how fast you will recover. Here are some ice tips:
- It is most important to use ice within 48 hours of injury.
- Do not use heat within 72 hours for it will promote swelling.
- If you use heat after 72 hours and you still have swelling, be sure to end with a session of ice.
- Use for up to but no longer than 10 minutes for thin tissue like ankles, feet, hands, wrists, elbow.
- Use for up to but no longer than 15 minutes for medium thick tissue like shoulders, mid back, neck, knees.
- Use for up to but no longer than 20 minutes for thick tissue like gluts, thighs, and calves.
- Make sure to leave 45 minutes to an hour between icing sessions.
- Let ice rest on injury keeping a thin layer of cloth between you and the ice.
- You can also massage an injury with ice. You don’t need a cloth layer but don’t let the ice rest on one spot.
- Homemade ice pack option 1 is freeze a Ziploc baggie or hot water bottle filled halfway with 1 part rubbing alcohol and 2 parts water.
- Homemade ice pack option 2 is a bag of frozen corn or peas.
- Homemade ice pack option 3 is freeze a wet cloth the size of your choosing.
- Homemade ice pack option 4 is a little paper cup with frozen water to perform ice massage on an injury.
- When you are icing a limb, if possible, keep it above your heart while icing.
- Any concerns make sure to call your health service provider!!
I encourage my Seattle Treatment massage clients to ice and have found the ones who do achieve better results. Thank you, PJ Harris LMP. http://www.pjharris.com/
With the tips you gave, treating injuries is made simple. I usually deal with clients having sprains and strains and I too do the same thing for them.