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Understanding
Cooling Therapy

Everyone knows that it helps to put ice on a painful bruise, strain or sprain. But why, and how does it work?

The practice of using a cooling pack or patch to reduce pain and aid recovery is also known as cryotherapy. Physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals recommend cooling therapy as part of the RICE protocol in the event of trauma or injury to a muscle. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation:

  • Rest – the muscle should be rested to prevent further strain or injury.
  • Ice – the muscle should be cooled as quickly as possible with cold therapy applied for at least 20 minutes at a time.
  • Compression – an elastic compression bandage should be applied to the injury to prevent additional swelling and blood loss.
  • Elevation – the affected muscle should be raised above the level of your heart to minimise swelling.

Cooling an injury reduces the sensation of pain through its counter-irritant effect as well as by reducing nerve conduction in local pain receptor cells.1 It can also slow down metabolism within the damaged tissue, reducing muscle spasm and inflammation. This reduction in pain, swelling, heat and redness effectively aids recovery.1-3

Cryotherapy also reduces the oxygen demand of local undamaged cells, reducing cell death and the cell debris which results. This too promotes faster recovery.1

Cryotherapy has the advantage of reducing tissue temperature without damage.1 Unlike ice, Deep Freeze Cold Patch can help avoid common complications such as frostbite and nerve palsy.4

References.

  1. Knight K, Brucker JB, Stoneman PD, Rubley MD. Muscle injury management with cryotherapy. Athletic Therapy Today 2000; 5(4): 26-30.

  2. Curl WW, Smith BP, Marr A, Rosencrance E, Holden M, Smith TL. The effect of contusion and cryotherapy on skeletal muscle microcirculation. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1997; 37(4): 279-86.

  3. Bleakley C, McDonough S, MacAuley D. The use of ice on the treatment odf acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Sports Med 2004;32(1): 251-161.

  4. Swenson C, Sward L, Karlsson J. Cryotherapy in sports medicine. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 1996; 6: 193-200.