How to Relieve Pain With Cold Therapy
Cold therapy is widely used to limit swelling and provide pain relief to sore or injured muscles, and for persons with arthritis and other joint ailments. Amateur and professional athletes have long used cold therapy to treat muscle injuries so as to rehabilitate as quickly as possible. Cold therapy methods vary, but all depend on the application of ice or ointments to the affected area in tandem with massage and other therapies. Follow these steps to get pain relief with cold therapy.
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Things You'll Need
- Ice pack or freezer gel pack Ace bandage or other wrap Orthogel or other topical analgesic
Instructions
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Follow the RICE acronym for cold therapy: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate.
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Rest the wounded area immediately to begin the healing process.
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Apply Ice to the affected area by using a compress, or by placing ice in a plastic bag and wrapping the bag in a thin towel. Flexible gelatin packs are also available that can be frozen and molded to a body area, such as to cover a knee injury.
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Compress the ice pack on the wounded area. Use an Ace bandage or similar wrap to hold the ice pack in place. When not using ice, continue to compress the muscle area with a wrap for at least 24 hours after injury to reduce swelling. This does not restrict blood flow. Instead, it reduces fluid buildup that causes tissue swelling. Body fluids flow into torn or stretched muscle tissue following an injury, which is the body's natural defense mechanism when bruised or wounded. The resulting swelling produces inflammation and bruising, and the added pressure causes pain. Cold compresses help reduce swelling and resulting pain, but should not be applied so tightly as to restrict blood circulation.
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Elevate the wounded area for one to two days after injury, while applying cold therapy so fluids can drain away by gravity, further reducing swelling, which can lessen the pain.
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Apply a topical ointment such as Orthogel, Icy Hot or BenGay to the affected area for temporary relief of minor muscle aches and pains. Topical ointments and lotions provide a local anesthetic to relieve pain, but do not work the same way as ice. These lotions can only relieve pain, not the underlying cause of pain, such as swelling. Use a small amount of the product at first to make sure you don't have an allergic skin reaction. Discontinue use if you experience burning, rash or irritation.
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Get medical help for persistent pain, swelling that does not go down after more than one day of cold therapy, or for injuries that might involve torn muscles or ligaments, as these wounds may not heal correctly by themselves.
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Tips & Warnings
Orthogel and similar cold-therapy ointments should not be used if you experience an allergic reaction such as skin rash or blistering. These products are for temporary relief of minor, ongoing pain and should not be substituted for ice and compression at the time of initial injury.
