Ice causes the veins in the tissues affected to constrict. This reduces the flow of blood while acting as kind of anesthetic to numb the pain. But when the ice is removed (most importantly), the veins compensate by expanding, which then allows a large amount of blood to rush to the affected area. The blood brings with it important chemicals that aid in the healing process as well as flush out the inflammation.
The 3 Rules of Icing Injuries
1. The application time for icing should not exceed 20 minutes per session. The tissues that have been exposed to the cold of the ice pack must be allowed to return to normal body temperature prior to the reapplication of the ice pack. Normally, a frequency of 20 minutes on and 30 minutes off works well.
2. There must never be direct contact between the ice pack and your skin. You must place a towel, or fabric (preferably cotton) such as a T-shirt between the ice pack and your skin to prevent burning.
3. Apply the ice pack to the areas described by your chiropractor. If you are unsure about how to use this important part of your treatment program, please ask the doctor or the staff to explain further or message me.
Be careful you must always protect your skin from frostbite:
Do not allow ice to sit against the skin without a layer of protection. Either continually move the ice as in an ice massage or use a thin towel between the ice and skin.
Happy Healing to you and your tissues! ;)
In many cases, temporary pain and even additional injury can be minimized and even avoided by a simple application of ice.
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