Ice Therapy
Here is a great article from “Clinical edge” on ice therapy and when to apply it. Have a look! The take home message is:
- Ice DOES NOT reduce swelling, but it does reduce pain which will help increase your function.
- We need injured tissue to be below 10C for it to reduce pain.
- Crushed ice will achieve our goal skin temperature within 5 minutes, however gel packs & frozen peas do not get the skin temperature lower than 13 degrees.
- Goal temperature depends on the depth of tissue injury and type of ice therapy used. If fat or deep tissue injury allow longer than 5 mins to get temp down. (You me never get temp down.)
- Best not to have any padding/bandaging for ice therapy. No skin damage has been recorded from direct ice therapy unless its >60 mins.
- Check for ice allergy every few minutes.
- See contra-indications & precautions!~