Search the Community

Friend, I'm gonna come right out and say it: Ice doesn’t reduce swelling. Does that feel like a pretty big shock to you? Like maybe I bumped my head and got my facts confused? With school sports back in the schedule some of you are sure to know a young athlete who has tweaked something and wants to use ice as that first self-treatment. It can be a great idea to get the injured tissue cooled quickly too, since studies of ice actually DON’T support the ages old recommendation that using ice will decrease swelling. A bit surprising I'll bet! Here’s the key…once the tissue has already swollen it can be tough to get it down quickly, by any means. But ice CAN reduce the metabolism temporarily in the area and reduce pain. And those ARE good things. So try to apply it quickly after an injury. And remember that even though you may already have some swelling that applying cold still may help control your pain and minimize the formation of even more swelling from activity. So it can still be worthwhile. But how do you ice properly? Well, I’ve got a trick for you that I learned many years ago. It’s actually a really cool scientific fun fact for you. Think about your windshield wipers in the winter. Your windshield fluid doesn’t freeze the moment it hits the windshield, does it? Why is that? The chemicals in there help lower the freezing temperature so it doesn’t harden as quickly. While some people choose to create this SLUSH ICE PACK using windshield washer fluid, I'd recommend using isopropyl alcohol…it does the same thing. You just get two large (quart or half gallon size, depending on the body part) seal-able plastic storage bags. Water test the seals on them first, just for safety. Then use 3 parts crushed ice with just a bit of water and add 1 part isopropyl alcohol. Do this with the bag laying relatively flat on a tabletop over a towel, with the opening pointed up to minimize any mess. Get most of the air out and then seal the bag. It should be a relatively flat pack and not a big blob/ball. Place the other bag over the top just as an extra layer of protection in the event of a leak. Your bag should then remain a moldable, flexible slush pack rather than a block of ice. It’ll easily mold around rounded body parts. If it’s too watery after the first overnight in the freezer you can add more crushed ice. If it’s too hard, add a little more isopropyl alcohol. (Just be careful… if your freezer is set really low, like 28 0 F, the slush pack may get cold enough to more quickly cause frostbite if you don’t use protective layering properly.) Usually ice treatments are around 20 minutes or so. It’s safest to use a protective layer like a paper towel or a damp hand towel (if not damp it’ll just block the cooling!) to avoid the chance of overcooling your tissues. I’ve seen these reusable slush packs last years if taken care of properly. Always check for leaks as you don’t want to ruin other things in your freezer. If you need to use ice in the future this is a great way to have a reusable cold pack that molds around curved body parts nicely without the pockets of air that occur with most ice packs or frozen veggies we use. See ya, MikePS...There are some people who have trouble with topical icing. If you have a cold allergy or have gotten frostbite easily in the past or have been advised by your doctor that you shouldn’t use ice then just pass this info along to your friends instead! If you’re not sure that a medical condition you have(especially circulatory problems or nerve related issues or wounds) is safe to use ice with then it’s always best to check with your doctor.