Ice therapy-- also called cryotherapy -- can be a wonderful self-care tool for muscle strains, sprains, and other injuries. When used properly, ice is safe and effective. And, it's free! Your only investment is your time.

When to Use Ice
But many people are confused about when to use ice. Here are some things you should use ice for:

• Recent injuries such as ligament sprains, muscle strains, and severe bruising, for the first 48-72 hours, or until the injury is no longer inflamed, red, warm to the touch, or painful to the touch.
• Inflammation
• Fresh bruises
• Tendonitis
• Shin Spints
• Plantar fascitis

Here's a memory aid: Ice is for Injuries and Inflammation.

Heat will make inflammation worse, increasing pain and swelling in a recent injury. Don't do it! But heat is great for other issues. You can learn more details about using heat effectively here.

How to Perform Ice Therapy
Ice therapy isn't rocket science, but a few tips will help you do it safely and effectively:

• Faster is better when you injure yourself. Ice an injury as quickly as you can after the injury.

• Apply ice till the area feels numb, and in any case no more than 15-20 minutes per session. (You can cause yourself frost-bite by icing too long.) Remove the ice after numbness sets in. (Prior to numbness, you will likely feel three stages: cold, burning or pricking, and aching.)

• Ice frequently. More is probably better. Just be sure your skin feels warm to your touch, and that it isn't still numb, before icing again. For acute injuries, once an hour is probably a good target (as long as your skin is warm and has feeling again).

• In the case of acute injuries, you can stop icing when the inflammation is largely gone. (After a couple of days, the therapeutic value of ice decreases.)

• Don't put ice directly on your skin. Unless you're moving the ice around in an ice massage (see ice massage, below), keep a thin cloth as a barrier between you and the ice.

• Elevate the injury while icing. This aids in fighting swelling.

• Don't use ice if you have the following conditions: 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.

Methods of Ice Therapy:

1. Ice Massage: In your freezer, freeze water in a small paper cup. 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. Massage the ice over the injury for five minutes or until the area is numb. Keep the ice moving, slowly and steadily. This works great, especially for tendonitis and smaller areas. It can provide considerable pain relief.
2. Ice pack: Use a commercially prepared ice pack, or put crushed ice from your freezer in a sealable bag with a little water. Another option is to buy a hot water bottle and fill it part-way with a mixture of (cold) water and alcohol. Keep it in your freezer. It won't ever freeze completely, making it conform to your body better.
3. Frozen peas: Dedicate a bag of frozen peas for the purpose of injury treatment. They conform to the body well. But, word to the wise, because it will be melting and re-freezing multiple times, you probably don't want to eat the peas. (Unless you're really desperate!)

What Ice Therapy Does
Ice constricts your blood vessels and capillaries and slows metabolic activity, helping to prevent excessive swelling. Ice not only reduces pain, it also helps you heal faster. Thank you, ice!

But if it's heat you need, you can learn details about using heat effectively here.

And learn a powerful hot-and-cold technique called contrast therapy here. It can have an amazing impact on a swollen ankle (or any other swollen body part.)