Ice Massage for Acute Injury
Injuries causes inflammation. This is a good! It is in the inflammatory state that healing begins. The down side is that we may experience pain, swelling, and redness in the injured joint area. This can cause avoidance of movement, compensation patterns, and altered sleep. Direct ice to an acute injury like a ligament sprain or muscle strain sends cellular waste away from the site which reduces pain.
Entrapped nerves also like cold. Also, nerves that are injured due to surgery.
Ice massage is an easy, inexpensive way to expedite healing and promote nutritional exchange. The process is as follows:
Fill a paper Dixie cup (or several paper cups) with water.
Place in freezer until it becomes ice.
Peel away an inch so that ice is exposed and your hand can hold the cup comfortably.
Directly apply ice in a circular motion to the injured area until it feels numb. This can take 10 minutes or less depending on the size of area injured.
Repeat every few hours as needed.
Always seek diagnosis by a medical provider and get imaging to rule out fractures, bulging discs, and other pathologies that may be the source of injury. I have found this sports massage technique to be very helpful for my massage clients dealing with sprains and strains.