IS ICE THERAPY THE REAL SECRET TO TREATING BACK PAIN?

IS ICE THERAPY FOR BACK PAIN A GOOD IDEA?

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Ice Therapy, also called Cold Therapy or Cryotherapy, is one of the first things taught in First Aid classes

The Back Ice Wrap I recommend

Ice Therapy is part of the RICE technique. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest from the activity that caused the injury, or you will make the problem worse.

Ice should be applied immediately after an injury. It minimizes pain and swelling.

Compression (wrapping the injured body part) also minimizes pain and swelling.

Elevation Raising the injured part above the heart lets gravity pull fluid from the injury to reduce swelling.

Ice Therapy reduces swelling by decreasing blood flow to the injured area. Blood flow is reduced because ice causes the blood vessels to constrict (get smaller).

Ice/Cold Therapy should be used for the first two to three days after an injury. If swelling lasts longer than three days, continue using ice.

Keep using ice for twenty minutes each hour until swelling is gone.

Cold Therapy can be as simple as ice cubes or crushed ice in a plastic bag. There are also Cold Packs or Cold Therapy Wraps that are made to fit any part of the body. There are even Cold Therapy Wraps made specifically for Back Pain.

Whenever using a cold gel pack, put a layer of cloth between the gel pack and your skin. This will prevent any chance of frostbite.

Cold Therapy is a good first choice for back pain because ice is easy to find almost anywhere. Ice is safe and effective at reducing back pain and swelling.

Is Ice Therapy Comfortable, or does it Hurt?

I have badly sprained both of my ankles at least 6 times playing basketball. My ankles have spent more hours in buckets of ice water than I care to remember. I know what it feels like to use ice.

There are four phases of ice therapy

1. When you first put your foot in ice water or put a Cold Pack on your back it will feel Cold.

2. Then it will change and feel like a burning pain.

3. Next it will start to ache—a Real Bad Ache. This is the point when you may want to take the ice off because it hurts too much.

4. But, if you get through those few minutes of severe aching pain, you will reach the last phase. Here you will get numb. It doesn’t hurt any more.

After a few minutes of numbness you will be at the 20-25 minute mark. Remove the ice and let the skin temperature return to normal before repeating.

So yes, Cold Therapy is not always comfortable, but it will relieve pain and swelling.

The process can usually be repeated every hour. But it should be done at least every 2 hours.

Ice Therapy for Prevention

Notice how you see every baseball pitcher icing his pitching arm after each game. This is done to prevent swelling of the “overused” elbow or shoulder.

They put the ice on before any swelling starts to maintain the health of their arm and to prevent an overuse injury.

In the same way, if you have overdone it with a physical activity and stressed a certain part of your body, ice can be applied to prevent swelling and pain from developing.

Ice Massage is an effective form of ice therapy. Fill a small paper or Styrofoam cup with water and put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen solid, peel away the paper or Styrofoam around the top of the cup.

Now, while holding the cup, massage the injured area of your body for 10-15 minutes. Continue peeling the cup back as necessary. Keep a frozen cup in the freezer to have when needed.

When Not to Use Ice/Cold Therapy

Certain conditions make using ice a bad idea. The following is a partial list of conditions that should not be treated with Ice/Cold Therapy.

Raynauds Disease: A condition where exposure to cold causes narrowing of blood vessels in the fingers and toes. Exposure to cold or ice can cause numbness, burning, or aching pain.

Pre-existing Numbness: Such as in Diabetic Neuropathy or any condition where there is altered sensitivity. This is potentially dangerous because the cold therapy cannot be felt by the patient.

Any Hypersensitivity to Cold: There are conditions which are extra sensitive to cold. Some of them include Hives and Rashes.

Impaired Circulation: Conditions where circulation is already impaired, such as Peripheral Vascular Disease, are not suited for treatment with ice.

To Your Best Health,