Ice

Ice is Mother Nature’s great healer. Ice should always be used initially to treat pain, swelling, and inflammation. This is especially true after an injury, sports activity, exercise program, or an operation. Ice works by acting as a local anesthetic, restricting blood flow, minimizing the inflammatory response which produces various noxious chemical in injured tissues, and by decreasing swelling. Ice treatment will never hurt anybody and is highly recommended by all who treat musculo-skeletal injuries and problems as part of a comprehensive treatment program.

Ice therapy can be administered using simple ice cubes and a towel, freezer jelly bags, disposable chemical bags, cold topical gels, and by electric devices that circulate ice water through tubes incorporated in a soft Velcro wrap. Total body immersion in an ice tub should not be used if there is a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, peripheral vascular disease, kidney disease, or lung disease as all of these conditions can be significantly and dangerously aggravated. Ice therapy is best administered locally to the painful and affected area.

Ice can treat the following conditions:

Sprains and Strains
Spondylolisthesis