Ice is fantastic stuff and will really help to reduce pain and discomfort in an aggravated joint. If you have been advised to use an ice-pack there are a couple of options you have:
1. The comercially available ice pack – like the James Barton ones we sell;
2. A load of smashed up ice from the freezer in a freezer bag;
3. Some good old frozen peas.
And here is the best way to apply it.
We advise that you use it for no more than 20 minutes on and 40 off in any one hour so that you don’t ice burn your back (to add to your woes). Locate the centre of your pain and place the pack against it – simple, really.
If you are using the pack through clothing have a layer of thin cloth (handkerchief not T-shirt) between you and the ice pack. If you are applying it without clothes then a thin layer of warm cloth can be applied first this will make the whole experience less terrifying as the cooling effect will slowly chill the warm cloth and then start its work.
It has been shown that patients icing within the first 24 hours of an acute injury have an approximate 6-day recovery time with grade 2 injuries and 13-day recovery time with grade 3 injuries. By waiting 48 hours to begin icing the recovery time almost doubles for grade 2 and 3 injuries! The application of heat can triple the recovery times for both grade 2 and 3 injuries.
So, go with ice first of all and fast unless told otherwise by someone who knows better – so, not your mate int he pub!