Ice is a form of therapy that can be done at home, and is extremely useful in the event of acute injury (< 36 hours).  Ice functions as a natural anti-inflammatory.  Ice works to decrease swelling, and decrease the release of inflammatory agents that occur during injury.  Ice can also work to numb the area of injury and slow the nerves transmission of pain signals.  When there is inflammation to an area, ice is usually a good option.

There are dangers to the use of ice.  Keeping ice on the area of injury for too long can be harmful.  Ice can burn the skin if kept on too long.  When ice is applied to an area of injury, the numbing effect caused by the ice, can prevent someone from noticing that there skin is actually burning. This is why using ice on a burn is not recommended, even though inflammation is present.  Ice can make the burn worse.    When using ice a towel should be applied under the ice pack, to keep the skin from getting burned.

When using ice as a therapy, it should be applied for no more than 20 minutes.  Twenty minutes is the amount of time that is recommended for using ice therapy.  It is advised to wait at least one hour, after 20 minutes of ice therapy, before ice is reapplied.

 It is also important to remember that inflammation is not always a bad thing.  Inflammation is the body’s attempt to increase blood flow to an area of injury.  Allowing blood to flow to the area is important because your blood brings oxygen and many other nutrients which help the area heal.  This is why, for chronic injuries, “heat” therapy may be a better option than ice.  Heat increases blood flow, and helps aid in the healing process.  

When considering whether to use ice or heat on an area it is important to ask a medical professional for their advice.  Following these rules can help in the decision process - of whether to ice, or not to ice.
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