Ice massage is one of the best things you can do to help heal and relieve tendonitis. It's safe, effective--and free!

It's not clear why it's so effective for the often-stubborn pain of tendonitis--but it is.

How is it different than just using an ice pack? With ice-massage, you apply the ice directly to the skin, but keep it moving throughout the treatment.

Ice massage works best for small areas--the size of a dollar bill or smaller. Working in a small area allows you to get it really cold.

How To: Ice Massage for Tendonitis and Muscle Pain

1. Freeze water in small paper cups (at least four per day).
2. Peel the top of the paper cup away, using the remaining paper as a kind of handle to help you hold on to the ice.
3. Get comfortable, with a towel under the area you'll be massaging (to catch the drips from the melting ice).
4. Massage the ice over the tendon or painful muscle for five minutes or until the area is numb. Keep the ice moving, slowly and steadily.
5. Spend proportionately more time on the most painful spot, pressing the ice gently into it (while still keeping the ice moving). Applying gentle pressure increases the effectiveness of the ice.
6. Continue massaging with the ice for at least five minutes, or until the area is numb. (Prior to numbness, you will likely feel three stages: cold, burning or pricking, and aching.) Don't massage longer than five minutes after the area becomes numb.
7. Do this at least four times per day. Just make sure that the area is warm and has feeling before re-applying ice. Continue performing ice massage until the tendonitis or muscle pain has resolved.

Icing Safely
A few tips will help you use ice massage safely and effectively:

• Keep the ice moving. Letting it rest for too long directly on the skin can cause frost-bite.
• Apply ice until the area feels numb, and then no more than five minutes after that.
• Wait until the area is no longer numb and is warm to the touch before applying ice again.
• Don't use ice if you have rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's Syndrome, cold-allergic conditions (e.g. ice causes you to break out in hives), paralysis, or areas that don't have full feeling.

Other Teondonitis Tips
When you have tendonitis, you also need to rest the injured tendon. Take a significant break from activities that are causing the irritation to your tendon.

More Effective Self-Care Ideas for Tennis Elbow
Learn additional highly effective self-care remedies for tennis elbow at my main tennis elbow page.

When to See a Doctor
You should see your doctor if the pain persists for over a week in spite of self-treatment. See your medical doctor immediately if you can't bend your joint; your joint is hot, swollen, and you have a fever; if your joint looks mis-shapen; or if you think you may have broken a bone or have an infection.

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