Ice therapy has been used for many centuries to aid the reduction of inflammation brought on by injuries; cuts, burns, strains and broken bones. In the muscle department, Ice is my go to, when my ease of motion isn't its peak. In the following I will mention benefits, resources and items to consider for the safest treatment at home.
I have found using "make your own pop sickle" collection is great for regular ice therapy.
Because there is a handle to hold, and you won't have to worry about your hands getting cold.
Overview: Ice therapy will only be used for 5 - 7 minutes in a particular point on the skin, if that long.
You may find that getting through the 4 stages, is faster for you due to your muscular complex.
Within Ice therapy, the ice is always moving and used only on muscle areas, avoid nerve locations and surfacing bones. Otherwise the ice may hurt the skin. Its normal for the skin to look pinker after treatment, as it returns to its normal color be assured that new supplies and blood flow is taking care of that area.
Mayo Clinic reference to ice therapy
Term lesson: Cryo (Cold) Therapy (Cure) is its Latin.
How to use Ice Therapy:
Make sure to have a small washcloth to catch the drips!
First stage: Its Very Cold... Apply the ice pop sickle to the point you have chosen. Keep it moving in small circle.
Second stage: Burning / Prickling feelings.... Continue your small circles.
Third stage: Aching..... For some this stage is hard, some want to stop the circles. I encourage you to keep going for your muscles will feel so much better after you are complete.
Forth stage: Numbness..... This is when you remove the ice and let the area reheat its self. During this time your muscles are loosening and livening up the area for recovery.
What are some of the benefits?:
Recover from surgery
Cold therapy can provide effective relief for minor injuries, such as bruises or sprains, by reducing the inflammation and swelling that causes acute pain. The therapy can even speed up healing time: Ankle sprains treated with ice can heal in about a week, while healing times sans cold therapy can be more than 10 days. Beyond one-time injuries, cryotherapy can treat repetitive strain injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, trigger finger, cubital tunnel syndrome, shin splints and plantar fasciitis. It can also provide relief for arthritis patients.
Recharge muscles after the gym
Many athletes use cryotherapy for muscle or injury recovery after exercise. The cold treatment helps the muscles repair themselves and prepare for the next training session. In a recent review published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers found that cryotherapy helped reduce muscle pain in 80 percent of the observed studies as well as improved athletic recovery and performance in 71 percent of the studies. As such, when incorporated into a regular post-workout routine, cryotherapy can reduce recovery times and improve performance going forward.
Find additional pain relief
Metabolic enhancement
Immune enhancement
Enhancement of detoxification pathways: One clinical study found that people who swim in ice cold water on a regular basis had high levels of the intra-cellular anti-oxidant, glutathione. The reduced form of this powerful antioxidant is crucial for the detoxification process. In one study which looked at athletes given WBC (with no comparison to ice packs or water immersion) enhanced superoxide dismutase; an enzyme which allows the body to deal with free radicals more efficiently.
Cold therapy can also provide relief for headache and migraine pains, as one study found that neck wraps with frozen ice packs numbed nerves and reduced participant symptoms. According to Healthline, cold therapy can also provide relief for dermatitis and other skin conditions, nerve irritations and mood disorders.
Collagen Stimulation
Sleep
A Dutch study found that by cooling core body temperatures just slightly by cooling the bedrooms down to 68 degrees F; participants doubled their time in restorative, slow wave sleep. The mechanism of action is thought to be due to the role of nor-epinephrine in levels of sleep.
Weight Loss
References:
Browmed cryotherapy, Age Well Solutions Cold therapy benefits.
Thank you for reading,
Keep on learning!
Have a great week.