The best method to treat any sports injury is ICE. Proven to be safe and effective at relieving pain and decreasing inflammation, ice therapy is an easy self-care technique for conditions of the joints and soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons). It minimizes swelling and bleeding and is always accompanied by rest, compression and elevation. When applied, the athlete goes through the 4 phases of icing: cold, burning, aching, and numbness. These are all perfectly normal.

Cold therapy, also known as cryo-therapy, is most effective in the early or acute stage of inflammation, before range of motion exercises and rehabilitation. It works on the principle of heat exchange whereby the cooler object will absorb the heat from the warmer one, that being your body.

After an injury, surrounding blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients and take away waste products are damaged. Everything slows down and now blood and other fluids seep into the space around muscles, causing swelling, bruising, and pain. Applying ice lowers temperature of the damaged area; constricts or makes blood vessels smaller, thus reducing tissue damage; and slows down nerve impulses, which also decreases pain.

Never use heat right after an injury as it will have the opposite effect of ice and increase pain and swelling of an already damaged region.

When it comes to cooling devices, real ice does a better job than chemical or gel packs because it is able to draw 4 times the amount of heat out of tissue, since it lasts longer at an even temperature, giving a more effective treatment. Most chemical or 1-time-use packs quickly lose their ability to transfer heat and thus their effectiveness to reduce swelling.

Cold therapy should always be used as soon as possible after an injury occurs and at 15-20 minute intervals with a minimum of 1 hour off in-between. In order to maintain the results of the treatment it also should be used any time there is a flare-up.

REMEMBER: IF YOU HURT YOURSELF...YOU NEED TO ICE.