How Does Ice and Cold Therapy Work?                         Cold causes the blood vessels of the muscles in the neck and back to constrict, reducing local inflammation and swelling.  Cold numbs sore tissues, providing pain relief like a local anesthetic.  Cold slows the nerve impulses in the area, which interrupts the pain-spasm reaction.

What Are The Types of Cold Therapy?

• Ice massage
• Ice packs
• Frozen gel packs
• Cold water bottle

When Should You Use Cold Therapy?                            Ice massage and cold therapy is generally most helpful during the first 48 hours following an injury that strains the back muscles.  After this initial period, heat therapy is probably more beneficial to the healing process.  For some people, alternating heat therapy with cold application such as ice massage therapy provides the most pain relief.  Some prefer to use heat prior to physical activity (to warm-up the muscles) and cold after activity (to decrease inflammation).

Applying Ice Massage.                                                                                     Ice massage is a very effective method of applying cold therapy.  One easy way to do this is to freeze water in a paper or styrofoam cup, then peel the top inch or two of the cup to expose the ice surface.  Someone else can give the ice massage, with you lying on your stomach in a comfortable position with a pillow under your hips to keep stress off your back.  You can also give yourself an ice massage by lying on your side.

• Apply the ice gently and massage in a circular motion making sure the ice doesn't stay in one place for too long
• Focus the ice massage therapy on a six-inch area of the back or neck where the pain is felt
• Avoid applying the ice massage directly on the bony portion of the spine
• Limit the ice massage therapy to about 5 minutes at a time (to avoid an ice burn).
• The key to ice massage therapy is to achieve numbness in the area of injury without burning the skin.
• When the numbness has worn off, the ice massage can be applied again for another cycle.
• Ice massage therapy can be repeated two to three times a day.

Safety Tips for Cold Therapy:

• Treatment should not last more than 20 minutes
• Check the skin every 5 minutes to make sure there is no damage, such as a freeze burn (redness and blistering of the skin)
• Do not place ice packs or cold packs directly on the skin; use a towel for insulation
• Wait 1 hour between cold treatments
• Cold therapy should not be used for patients who have rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's Syndrome, cold allergic conditions, paralysis, or areas of impaired sensation.