By Ross Ashcraft
Cryogenics is a term we hear in science fiction. In these stories, someone freezes their head for the future generations to bring back to life. Believing in some future medical breakthrough, others will place themselves inside cryopods in hopes that the alien overlords 
will revive them. However farfetched many of these ideas might be, the power of cold to help in the medical field is well documented. Cryotherapy is used in many medical practices and is one of the most powerful tools at a massage therapist’s disposal.
When we are injured, one of the body’s initial responses is to cause inflammation in the area. Inflammation is blood pooling and possibly stagnating in the area as a protection response. This initial inflammation can be controlled and the healing process sped up with a simple application of cold. A common way to remember what to do during an acute injury is it to use the acronym I.C.E. This acronym stands for Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
In addition to controlling inflammation, cold applied at the site of injury will also increase the body’s healing response. When cold is applied to an area, the site of application undergoes what is called vasoconstriction a.k.a. the blood vessels shrink. This is how we can control inflammation. However, after several minutes of cold application, the body will feel itself getting TOO cold and then reverses its response to the cold. It will now rush extra blood to the area with vasodilatation a.k.a. the blood vessels expand. This phenomenon is called the Hunting Response.
With continual application of cold over several minutes, the body will flip flop between vasoconstriction and vasodilatation. Simply put: more blood freely flowing through the area equals faster healing. After the inflammation is under control you can use the ice therapy to create maximum healing response. Apply ice for 10 minutes, take it off for 10 minutes, replace it for 10 minutes. Rest for a period and then start the process over.
Cryotherapy Techniques
To be safe and effective, always palpate the site of treatment before, during, and after the application of cold.
Ice Massage:
Directly applying cold or ice to an area can create profound change. Place cold on an area until numbness has occurred on the skin. If you choose to apply ice directly and without a barrier on the skin, I recommend you rub the ice into the area as opposed to resting it on the site. You’ll know the area is numb if they can’t feel you tapping the skin. Immediately apply any massage technique and watch knots and tension slip away.
Contrast Method
Obtain one cold pack and one hot pack. Place the cold pack on the site of tension. Leave in place for about 5 minutes. Place the hot pack on the site. Leave in place for about 5 minutes. Massage the area and feel the profound differences generated in the muscle and fascia layers with this technique.
Simultaneous Contrast Method
The single most powerful method in the use of ice in massage therapy is the use of the simultaneous contrast method. Obtain one cold pack and one hot pack. Place the cold pack on the site of discomfort and place the hot pack below it. Work on another part of the body for a few minutes and then switch the packs. Work on another body part and switch the packs. Keep doing this until you are ready to massage that original body part. The change is typically profound and well worth the discomfort. In addition, the amount of manual work required by the therapist to bring relief to the client will dramatically diminish.
Cryokinetic Challenge: Get an ice cube, wrap it in a paper towel while leaving one edge exposed. Rub the ice cube into a single tender muscle on your body. I would suggest either the muscles of your thumb or the muscles on the outside/lateral side of your forearm. Rub the area in a circular 
I am quite familiar with this procedure. I had surgery on my arm when I tore my rotator cuff completely off the bone. When I started my physical therapy, they would start with the heat then perform a little massage on me and then to the ice pack. I really liked the warmth and then the massage and even though the ice was a tremendous help, I’m not to fond of ice. I also had and ice mechanism
that I used at home that looked like an ice chest and pumped cold to my arm.
I love the cyrokinetic exercise. I actually do this treatment to myself three times a week, if not more. I ice my trap area until it numb. I don’t like that process very well, but I like the ending result. Before I ice the area, it is usually very tight and has a burning, aching, tight feeling. After the ice process, I put a tennis ball between the muscle and the wall and move around so that the ball is massaging the area. It feels so good and seems to cooperate a lot better when numb. The area becomes very red and very cold. It sort of burns for a little bit, but then the odd feeling goes away and is just cold. The muscles are not as sore to touch. I can move my neck and shoulders a lot better, (better ROM) after the ice treatment. Good exercise.
I am unlucky enough to swell up when I use cryotherapy. 😛 This next week I am planning to try the contrast method on a client though. I can’t wait to see how it works. 😀
Let us know how it goes!!
Not sure if I enjoyed this exercise, I used my thumb for this when applying the ice cube to the tender area it actually felt worse but only for the first few seconds but after time went on and it continued to get more and more numb. It was definitely a strange feeling that was actually quite nice but once it started to ware off my thumb wanted to get revenge and became more sensitive to touch but even that phase did not last long about 5 minutes. After all that the treatment did seem to help its a great method to help those stubborn muscles chill out.
I found that this ice process really seems to work. Once I got over the what felt like unbearable cold, I really did notice that it was easier to palpate my muscle. I sprained my ankle back in February and for some reason no one ever told me to put ice on it so I just kept it elevated with a heating pad wrapped around it. The heat felt really good, but from what I have learned so far in school and what I have learned from this blog exercise, I would have been much better off using ice and/or rotating ice and heat.
I got to witness my grandmother go through cryokinetic therapy after she had knee surgery. It was the wrap connected to the ice chest that pumped ice water all around the knee area. She said the process was not fun, but the effects afterwards were worth it.
I’ve actually never used any of these techniques. I have used ice on inflamed muscles, but I’ve never used cold then hot. The only thing close to this treatment that I’ve used is biofreeze, which is like icy hot, and it always helps my muscles relax. The only downside to biofreeze though, is it doesn’t smell very pleasant. I actually injured myself at worked and it’s caused a lot of muscles spasms and inflammation in my lower back, shoulders, and neck… so I will definitely try these techniques to see if they help! Thanks for the great post Ross!
The only experience I’ve had with doing ice is when I broke my ankle. I find that it does keep the swelling to a minimal.
I usually prefer the heat pack, but when I tried the ice on my ankle, that was hurting like crazy, I could feel how much better ice works. I like the cup technique, which last longer and really numb the area you need to work. I have several in my freezer, ready to use.
This is really interesting I will have to try it in a massage one of these days instead of just when I sprain something :vD!!!
I have a vast knowledge of heat and cold therapy techniques. Using them for four years as a Student Athletic Trainer at Jenks. The use of cold to reduce pain and inflammation, then heat to help relax it away. things who watch out for would be “ice burn” a term used in other medical fields but Ross described it better “after several minutes of cold application, the body will feel itself getting TOO cold and then reverses its response to the cold. It will now rush extra blood to the area with vasodilatation a.k.a. the blood vessels expand. This phenomenon is called the Hunting Response.”
I have rather weak ankles and I have twisted them both many times, well more like roll them. I had to wear what I called a space boot for six weeks one time it was so bad. but every time I have rolled my ankle I use both cold and hot packs switching back and forth from one to the other until it takes the swelling down and it seems to work every time. the pain is still there when I walk but it’s not swollen any more.
So my descriptors for this exercise are numbing and unpleasant but seemingly beneficial. I’ve used ice for sprained ankles in the past, but never in direct contact with the skin. However frequently used, the results are still fascinating. I’m looking forward to learning more ways to incorporate things like this into massage. Great post!!!
When I was going to Massage Therapy in El Paso Texas. A very similar technique was used on me after performing my hour long stretches and knee massage. They would put me on a table and lubricate my knee with some icy hot gel(something of the sort)prior to putting electric pads on different sections of my knee and testing what voltage was appropriate for me. The effects felt similar to the heat and cold relief of pain except with more jitters, since its electroshock therapy, I believe.I assume it must of reduced the inflammation in my knee because I felt numb and couldn’t feel pain in my knee for two days after the treatment. 🙂
When I was staying in El Paso ,TX I received a similar heat and cold massage treatment for my knee. However, I believe that this would be considered electro-therapy. After an hour of stretches and massaging on my knee at the clinic, I was put on a table where they lubricated my knee with some sort of icy hot gel(something of the sort). Then, they proceeded to attaching some electric pads on multiple areas of my knee and gauged if the amount of shock I was receiving was appropriate for my pain level. The effects felt similar as to what was described in the main post of heating and cooling of an area,as well as, very comforting. The inflammation in my knee was probably controlled since I felt numb and didn’t feel any pain in my knee for the next two days.
Leo, look up pictures of TENS unit on the internet. It sounds like that is what they may have been using. Its a great little machine.
Any time I sprung or injured a muscle I always applied a heating pad then ice pack it always felt better doing so but never really thought on why that really help the muscle or why it makes it feel better. I know you apply ice to keep the swelling down and you apply heat to warm the area back up is all I thought it was doing. After, reading this blog it just makes since if I have really thought about it.
Awesome! In my head I literally saw your light bulb go on! 🙂
I just went through all this with my brother when he had hernia surgery. He said that it helps with the pain and swelling.I havent done it but i have seen it work through my brother. A week later he is healing fast and swelling is alot better than normal.
I am glad we are learning about this. When I worked at a chiropractors office we would use ice on the clients that had been injured within 72hrs. The clients used to hate the ice and request heat and when I would tell the chiropractor he would say “No they need the ice, heat is bad for new injury.” So I would relay that to the client but never had a true understanding of it. I knew it reduced swelling but didn’t understand how. Now I know 🙂
Tried your challenge and it was cold as heck! It was a tish swollen. ( I did the challenge on the forearm , but did notice a difference. I have had heat pads and a tens unit used on my neck and upper back……I’m thinking this could work better for my pain.
I found this blog to be very interesting and the other blogs too I will have to try the challenge though and let you know how it goes.
i cant really say i noticed a difference, but maybe that was because the muscles in my arm wernt tender when i did this. it did however feel a little odd having the area numb and moving the muscles around.
Amazing stuff!!!!
I use ice and heat a lot on my lower back and it really seems to help. The paper towel and moving it and massaging that area seems to help the most or maybe I just like it more cause the ice isn’t on the same spot so long. I defiantly prefer heat it feels better but after using heat and ice my back does feel much better. I feel that have moving the ice cube around it helps ease the pain then when removing it I feel the muscle start to relax.
I do this alot on my knee, and I have also decided and have been using cryotherapy on my right shoulder since allied modalities with Sharon. I have learned that ice can be just as therapeutic and healing as heat, if not more at times.
What are your thoughts on ice baths? Pros, cons, and indications. I have a client who is a personal trainer, group instructor, and it training for body building competition. She sees me once a month and I make little to no headway in making her muscles healthier and happier. I always tell my clients the benefits of icing their injuries, do you think an ice bath is something she should try?
Ice baths can be very beneficial. They can really help the body resent and dramatically increase your healing factor. However, before she jumps in the freezing lake, I’d recommend a regiment of Ice Therapy. 10 minutes of ice; 10 minutes of nothing; 10 minutes of Ice. Wait a half hour and repeat.
I have always wanted to learn more about this article. It really got my attention and has wanting to learn more about what to really do when we have a injury and how to fix it. I would love to try these methods the next time I have a really bad injury.
I am some what failure with this. Earlier this year I went mountain climbing and hurt my leg. I had to ice it for a few days. But I didn’t use the heat. I am curious to know how that would have effected my injury. But now I know what to do!
I had a decent accident right before starting school this semester. I managed to get a crack on the inside of my elbow joint, and also displaced my radius. What I noticed even more than the crack, was the muscles around my radius, near the crook of my elbow. I was in extreme pain. Although the doctor didn’t suggest it, I have a small ice chest that you fill with water and ice and it pumps cold water through a pack attached at the end. I used this A LOT on my arm. Just not being able to feel the tender muscles was a relief, but I have to admit, once the numbness wore off I was in pain again. I look forward to these techniques this week so that I can learn the appropriate way to ice/heat an injury so that the results are greater and last longer.
Oh gosh, I know this method all too well due to always over-extending my arm when i played softball. It really works!
I am fortunate that myself or my kids have not had any injuries that would require this technique. I am now prepared with the knowledge of what to do if anything should happen.
I don’t remember using any of these techniques on myself I would definitely consider it in the future. I don’t watch a lot of science fiction but I have heard about the cryogenic freezing and find it kind of creepy and fascinating at the same time
I am not very fond of the direct ice technique, too much of a shock to my system. I have used the direct ice when wanting the numbing for piercings and such in the past and I know that the feeling of the numbness fading becomes a bit uncomfortable almost like my skin is raw.I do however prefer the contrast method of combining heat and cold this was more tolerable and relaxing to my muscles.
I am going to ice my thumb later because I have been using it too often during massage, so the advice to numb it then move the numb muscles is nice to see. I love cold, but I dont know if I could do a cold bath. Maybe I will get brave and try it out now though 😉
This therapy makes good physiologic sense…I love it when I know the “nuts and bolts” about WHY a particular approach to a problem works. I must say that I am not looking forward to cryotherapy being applied to myselt, but I know that it will be a valuable tool for my practice.
Found out first hand today that the contrast method works very well. I have had heat packs used on me before and loved them. I like the results of the ice, but not necessarily sitting through the painful part.
I liked the ice therapy. I had two students do ice therapy on my back and my muscles are nice and relaxed today.
I have been an athlete my whole life, most of witch i never had any serious injuries. Now that i do currently have a very slow healing knee injure, im beginning to understand the importance of “Cryotherapy” I cant stand the stinging, burning and numbness on ice but I will put up with it if it will allow my injury to heal faster an allow me to run again.
Personally I really DO NOT like ice. I get cold easily and I find it very unpleasant. I can see where it could be helpful but the only way I would feel comfortable doing it is if I use the contrast method and warm my client back up.
I have the worst ankles and constantly sprain them. I.C.E. is a way of life for me. I think that I sprain my ankle at least 4 times a year. I know that my sprains would take twice as long to heal without I.C.E. Therapy.
I have never thought of it that way. when you injury yourself or someone else has an injury that we (when needed) apply an ice pack to the area to keep swelling down. Never occurred to me that it was Cryotherapy.
Goodness! When I did the ice cube on my thumb area as suggested, it was very cold! But instead of taking it off, like I would normally do, I left it on for a few more minutes and I experienced the numbness. After doing the movements, my hand felt more relaxed and less sore.
Using this on my extensor ulnari decreased sensitivity in the area so that i was able to apply more pressure to myself without pain.
I forgot what ice packs can do for healing and releasing tension. I will have to try this with my right hip. It bothers me quite often, so maybe the ice method will work. We’ll see!
I am a firm believer in I.C.E while playing any sports that’s all we were told to do!
Being in sports most of my life, I am very familiar with the use of cold therapy on inflamed body parts. Especially when it comes to not keeping the cold on for too long. I’m excited to learn a bit more about this this week! Thanks!
I definitely want to try the cryokenitic challenge. I happen to have bad knees. THis was an interesting article.
I’m still very hesitant on trying any kind of therapy involving being cold. However, contrast therapy is something I think could be very beneficial.
As an athlete Im a firm believer in ice for injuries. But would love to know how the ice massage feels.
Now this might be a challenge for me but I think I can do many things with this.
I don’t know how ready I am to try this out. I really don’t like cold things put on my body because it causes me more pain then I am already in. But I am willing to try this in the name of learning.
I have more than enough knots and bruises from boxing to make me very interested in this. Can’t wait to do this tomorrow!
I’ve had a chance to try this. Even though I was completely against putting ice on an non injured but stiff area, it actually felt better than the heat did.
I’ve always wanted to try the contrast method!
You know, I was stationed in Alaska for 4 years, through the military. Strange thing, although we ran miles on miles at negative degree weather, i never felt soar after a run or pain as i was running. Now, opposed to Ft.Sill Oklahoma, i absolutely hated running. Id take long showers after a run, rub my calves and feet and sometimes try and walk awkwardly because my thighs hurt so bad. I don’t like using ice for some reason, but to be realistic here, it would probably help me in more ways then one. Now for something fun, Bomb A** Techniques
I really love ice, it is one of the fastest ways I help myself get over bruises and aches in my body. Cryotherapy is a fantastic technique.
I am very familiar with this procedure. I did clinicals for a physical therapy credential and they live for this kind of therapy. I really enjoyed it myself.
Ooooooh, ice ice baby! I hope I don’t need to perform this massage on myself anytime soon…I hate being injured. But I would gladly help someone overcome their injury!
My brother strained his back working in the garden last week. This is exactly what I told him to do. less than a week later he is back in the garden.
I have used ice before to heal injuries, but I never realized what was going on at the cellular level. Vasodialation and constriction make sense now, as to why cryotherapy works, it really does take the swelling down and make the injury feel better. Increasing blood flow to an area works wonders for promoting healing.
I will like this because i like cold things and it helps relax me and slow everything down. So I am ready to have this done and try it myself.
I love ice massage! It is even better when it is mixed with heat therapy. I get so much out of ice massage, even though I am “allergic to the sensation of cold” and get horrible welts/hives if I don’t use some sort of barrier.
I didn’t think that I could handle the ice but while my therapist was rubbing it into a circle it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The area she was working on was a really sore spot on my back and when she was done and then massaged that area I was surprised how good it felt! I always thought you needed heat for this and now I can see the benefit of cold!
I didn’t really care for the ice but the heat felt perfect.
I was a little skeptical about the ice therapy when we did, but i thought it was very nice and for some reason it wasnt as cold as i thought it was going to be
I didn’t like the ice part because of the fact that I’m a heat lover, and heat tends to relax me a little more then ice.
I have used this technique plenty of times, as I have been a part of multiple sports teams and had many injuries. Ice works wonders and helps with blood flow and healing. I’m excited to try the combination of heat and ice.
This is something I’ve heard of the the I.C.E it is defiantly an efficant way to heal.
I am not a fan of cold therapy but after reading this I finally understand how it works and am wondering how much grief I could have saved myself if i had just listened and iced down my injuries!
Two of my children complained of sore muscles today, but I had no takers when it came to the Cryokinetic Challenge! I applied ice in a circular motion over my lateral forearm. I can see how the ice seems to dull the pain receptors in the area. Cryotherapy and this article remind me of my childhood. Oh no, here’s another “walked 10 miles to and from school” story! I recall walking home from elementary school in the winter time with my knees and thighs exposed to the cold because of wearing a dress with knee-highs on. This is South Dakota weather we’re talking about! I distinctly remember the cold , then the sting, then the numbness and then going throughout those steps backwards as I “thawed out” at home. Thankfully I don’t recall suffering frost bite like my brother. I also recall walking for some time in the cold. Initially my face and ears would be red and cold. However, after awhile, I appeared to look cold to others but if you touched my red cheeks and ears, they would be very warm. I believe this explains the Hunting Response to me. This article also reminds me of another article I read awhile back. Have you ever heard about therapeutic hypothermia? There are hospitals that practice bringing a person’s core temperature down to 91.4 to increase their chances of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest. I believe ice can be an effective and powerful tool. I also think I would need to feel pretty confident in my skills to use it in therapy. It needs to be used with caution and precision. Another note of trivia–Paul Newman had a morning ritual of plunging his face several times into ice-cold water. It had to have done something therapeutic to endure that!
Ice really helps with achy wrists, tried it on my self and it worked!!
Cryotherapy is something that I have heard about all my life. The I.C.E. acronym is something that my Nana use to drill into us as children. I can recall scraped knees with baggies of ice elevated on the end of the couch. I can see where in our field the ice and heat are such a huge tool to us. I took the challenge and did heat on one thigh and cold on the other. Just the difference in working the muscles with each hand was very surprising. I completely believe in the benefits of both heat and cold for healing. As an adult I had a couple of surgeries. On the first surgery a nurse had told me to use ice all the first day and then add the heat a couple of times the next day. It was a very helpful tip. I used the same process on my second surgery. I have used it on many other occasions as well.
Well it was very interesting learning more on the subject of cold therapy about how our blood vessels react to cold therapy the process it takes for us I was very suprised on how that all worked together. I think cold therapy is definantly something I wanna try in my career in the future.
I have had a lot of injuries in my life and I can vouch, ice works wonders.
Application of cold can greatly reduce inflammation in a relatively short amount of time.
Less inflammation and inhibited nerve function from the cold allows reprieve from much of the pain from and injury, which allows the muscles to relax which takes even more tension off of the nerves and the hunting response obviously get fresh blood moving through there healing the injury faster.
Overall it is the fast track to recovery from the majority of injuries; so even though being frozen cold for some minutes may not be fun, the payoff of pain relief and quick recovery are more than worth it.
One thing for sure is I don’t like the cold at all, just being out in cold weather makes me have migraines. But I AM interested in this cryotherapy business just for the fact that it makes use as massage therapists more versatile and shows that we have an open mind about many treatment options that our clients might want to experience. As far as the challenge goes, I haven’t found any takers yet so I might have to just try it on myself.
Cryotherapy is a great therapy to use for many things. I have used it for injuries and to help reduce swelling in the past. I tried the ice cube technique discussed in the blog and it did help with my soar muscle in my arm. I however wouldn’t often use this type of therapy for myself because I don’t like the cold at all! I can however see how this would be very useful in a sports massage or medical massage type of environment.
I have used this technique a lot, from sprains to knee surgery. I’m a huge fan of this. I also like doing heat and ice. But would rather
Do the Ice because I’m so hot natured
Oh goodness I know that numb feeling all to well. I have my high basketball career to thank for that. My right ankle has been reconstructed because of it also. I can remember before my surgery when I would sit on the bench durning practice with both feet in 5 gal buckets full of ice and water fighting back the tears. I would get mad if any of my teammates would bonus a ball ever remotely close to my buckets because the vibration from the plastic bucket against that wood basketball court wasn’t very forgiving! Ouch!
I put the ice on the lateral side of my forearm and my whole hand feel numb, like there is no blood circulating through my hand. When I make a fist it is really tight . I think this a great home technique that people don’t think about doing. My hand is actually still tingling we doing this blog, but the next time I have any type of swelling I know what to do.
COOL! I’ve used the cold/ hot method for my L4 & L5 on my lower back. Had no idea about the massaging afterwards. When our horses would injure muscles or tendons we always put just cold on them. I wonder if this method would be as beneficial?
I would love to learn cryotherapy, it just look like so much fun, plus it’ll be something we can always demonstrate on our client anywhere we go. I actually experienced something like this on myself, after massaging for a while I had achy wrists, and whenever we had the snow I played with it for a little with no gloves, the next morning when I woke up I realized that my wrists are no longer hurting, and just now I realized that the snow did the trick.
I do not like the cold at all no matter what it is or where im. At i hate the cold so i do not think this is something that id want done to me it would probably make me feel bad i am extremely sensitive to the cold. I prefer heat over cold
I agree ice does help when you have a sprained ankle I learned from my personal experience. The cold pressure I put on my ankle made the inflammation go down.
I was was a bit skeptical about this at first,but after experiencing it in class I absolutely love the the contrast method. Defiantly need to have extra towels on hand though lol
Being an athlete, I have experienced many injuries that I have used cryotherapy on. I iced and elevated my sprained ankle because that’s just what I was told to do. I knew it made my ankle feel a MILLION times better, so I listened with no explanation as to why. I love understanding vasoconstriction and dilation and having an understanding as to why this makes your injuries feel so much more manageable.
This is great info on something so basic but really helpful to people. It’s good info to leave with and give as advise to client’s.
I love Ice on inflamed areas and I’m glad it is common in massage and physical therapy.
This is brilliant! Both my boyfriend & I have chronic, debilitating neck pain and would benefit from this greatly! I will ABSOLUTELY be using this technique with my clients. I am so excited to get home and use it on myself!
I know first hand the benefits of using ice, I love it. I can’t wait to try the different techniques with the hot and cold packs.
I do not like cold not at all and never thought it would work, until sometime last year I got up from bed and could not move my neck and was in so much pain tears were rolling down my face, I went for a massage and the person who worked on me told me it was too inflamed to work on. So I went home and send a text to my friend who graduated from CCC 🙂 and she told me to use ice on for a few minutes and off for a few. I just did it because at this time I was in so much pain and the people around me did not want to be around me any longer. Long story short it work and I was pleasantly shocked and felt much better.
As an endurance athlete I use ice and I.C.E quite frequently. I use it on my knees, lower back, and shoulder the most. Ice definitely speeds the recovery time. I use cryotherapy after a workout and not just when I’m injured.
I like the theory behind it and I know that it works. I’ve seen it done on dogs during my externship with VA. Honestly though I hate the cold so it wouldn’t be something I would be excited to try on myself.
I’ve experienced cryotherapy from physical therapy after a car accident, but never in this much detail. I like the terminology, I only hear things generalized so having the terms and their definitions is handy. I will try the contrast method my husband tonight and see if it helps his ankles.
I normally avoid icing at all cost because I detest being cold. But after reading this, I will have to rethink my position on being cold. Also loved the Sci fi analogy. I did not realize cold was that beneficial.
This is so interesting to me!I dont get breaks and sprains often but I almost can’t wait until I do just so I can feel the amazing effects! Great Blog!
I’m really interested in seeing how I’m going to react when experiencing this technique. I think I’ll be able to handle it! I can’t wait to feel the difference afterwards.
Good infomation. Now i know what the right way of doing this when i or my kids or clients need it done.
I’m not sure I want to try this technique. I am a wimp and hate being cold! Unless I had a painful injury, I doubt I would use this method.
I’m not a huge fan of ice since I’m cold nearly 80{dd4fd4792e0eb33cfcd896730531ad5ee27f408bd2ce28da7f8125f8188131a8}of the time. I tried the ice on my hands and it does help a great deal before massaging my hands. My hands are usually tired and feel swollen from work.
I believe this is an underutilized modality.
I now have a better understanding of how, when and why to use ice.
This sounds interesting and I’m looking forward to trying this on Michelle.
Whenever I have an injury, ice is the first thing i put on it
I used this technique all my life for sports,I didn’t know it would have an application in massage. Very cool
I thought the vasoconstriction and vasodilatation was really interesting. How the body starts to do the exact opposite once it starts getting too cold.
Having had bad sprains, I know this method of using ice to be really effective at diminishing inflammation and swelling. Using the alternating method of cold packs and hot packs sounds uncomfortable, but I would be curious to experience the effects of that strategy.
This seems something I would use with people who play sports, it might feel unconfortable but the logic in healing behind it is interesting would like to try it someday but I am a wimp when it comes down to cold.
Very intriguing. I have never heard of this therapy done in this way. I am so excited to try this. 🙂
I am super excited over this method. After my husband has surgery on his back this was this only way I could get the muscles to loosen up enough for massage. I cant wait to use it with clients. Any tools that can help are a blessing.
I’ve never have been one to use cold compresses, particularly because I don’t like to shiver. However, when I had stress fractures in both my legs and had to use a cold compress 3 times a day, I found that it helped quite a bit. I bet this treatment would benefit clients with arthritis and sports injuries!
I experienced the work,not to much fun,but makes the process of healing much faster
I hate the cold, but can’t wait to try it sometime.
Good information to have and very interesting treatment.
I love the contrast method and believe it really has some great benefits!