While watching sports like football, tennis or hockey, you can see players using ice packs after getting a slight knock or an injury. You can even spot them using ice packs after leaving the pitch/field or resting after the game. This is because there are many benefits of using an ice pack but you must follow the right steps to achieve the desired results.
Ice therapy is all about cooling down a particular path of our body and it has many benefits as well. The muscle density, as well as the skin, is different for each part of our body. The joints and ligaments are also of a different type. Because they are in a specific depth below our skin, thus the ice therapy should be done according to the area. The timing or duration of ice therapy is different for different parts of the body. Here we have discussed the top six benefits of ice therapy to our body.
1. Slows down the Blood Flow
When you use an ice pack or wrap your body part with some ice then it slows down the flow of blood inside your tissue and muscle. Because of this, you will feel less inflammation than you were experiencing earlier. This process is quite effective if you want to slow down the flow of blood because it is the major cause of inflammation in our body. You can also combine the icing with some elevation so that you can reduce your inflammation soon. Because of this, you will experience less swelling and no pain will be there around your injury.
2. Spasm will get reduced
Sometimes the spasm in muscle is a common thing in case of some injuries. If you use a cold press or the ice pack, you will get instant relief from pain. Because muscle spasm can hamper the functioning of your muscle, you should use some Gel Ice Packs to reduce the effect of spasm in your body. You must opt for ice packs quickly if you don’t want your muscle to get spasm soon after the injury.
3. Relieves Pain
Generally, ice packs help to numb a particular area where you are experiencing severe pain because of injury. When blood flow increases in that particular area, the area becomes sore. If you use ice packs, it will reduce the flow of blood and you can feel less pain in those areas. So if you want to reduce your pain right after the injury, you should use some ice packs on the injury as soon as possible.
Besides relieving pain, ice packs are also beneficial for keeping swelling under control. It is useful in acute injuries that occur while playing sports and that involve cramps, muscle strain, ligament damage, etc. The crucial part is to apply the ice pack as soon as possible after the injury takes place and that too in the manner prescribed by the medical staff.
4. Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is the common problem that occurs after an injury; however, if you use some gel ice packs, you can treat the damage faster. Ice tends to stop the inflammation completely and thus, you can say that it works like a magic. Inflammation slows down the healing or recovery process from the injury and thus, ice packs help in shortening the period that is possibly required to overcome the injury.
5. Bleeding won’t be there
As ice pack can reduce the flow of blood, you can be sure that there won’t be any type of bleeding from your tissue after the injury. This is one of the supreme benefits of using ice packs on your injury. Preventing blood loss after the injury is crucial for minimising or avoiding extra damage. Unavailability of ice packs to prevent bleeding may elongate the period of recovery from the injury. For this reason, ice packs are widely used by the medical staff of sports professionals, especially those involved in combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts.
6. Relaxes the Stress on muscles
As Ice packs numb the area of injury, which help relax the muscles as well. If you have pulled your muscle because of intense exercise or physically demanding sports, you can opt for ice therapy to relieve stress in your muscle.
This benefit, alongside the other pain relief benefits, helps bring mobility back to the affected part of the body. As a result, space is created for new cells and tissues to be formed as a replacement for the old and damaged ones.
What to follow when using ice packs?
There are some specific guidelines to follow during ice therapy. You should not put the ice directly on your skin; instead, use it for around ten to fifteen minutes (depending on the location and severity of the injury) wrapped in a cloth. In between, if you see any redness on your skin, remove the ice pack immediately to prevent any nasty condition. For, you may repeat the therapy after some time to get the desired results.
It is important to keep in mind that ice packs are only an aid that helps reduce pain, inflammation and stress and blood loss at the site of the injury. Ice packs should not be mistaken as the single sure shot solution for your injury or problem. If you get injured, get proper advice and treatment from the concerned doctor.
Nevertheless, the use of ice packs has changed how injuries used to impact sports or life in general and how injuries were treated? Use of ice packs was popularised in sports by the famous RICE method of treating injuries but it has become an inexpensive and easily available household measure. The ice packs significantly reduce blood loss and relieve pain post-injury. Besides, the ice packs prevent exacerbation of injury damage, thus, resulting in a quicker healing response from the body.
