Ice After Recovery

For some conditions ice can be a useful aid to recovery. It is a good painkiller and reduces inflammation in an area. It has also been shown to reduce muscle spasm, therefore allowing better movement.

You should place a damp, thin cloth between the skin and your ice. A damp tea towel or ‘J cloth’ wrapped around a bag of frozen peas is ideal.

You need to leave the ice on for between 10-20 minutes. By the end of your ice session the area will probably be very red which is normal. The skin will feel cold but should not be numb.

The area will warm up over the next 15-30 minutes and it is advisable to gently keep moving during this time. You can repeat the ice every 2 hours.

If your condition would benefit from the use of heat your practitioner will let you know. Patients with Raynaud’s or Rheumatoid disease should not use ice. It should also not be placed directly over a nerve.

If you have any concerns about the use of ice please ring the clinic.