Why do People Use Frozen Peas to “Ice” Their Injuries?

Have you ever put thought to why people choose frozen peas over anything else in the freezer to apply to their injuries?

I thought I would share a few reasons why this may be so.

Firstly, frozen peas received a very good wrap in 2000 when a study¹ showed that a packet of frozen peas decreased skin temperature more than what a flexible ice pack did in 20 minutes!

Other reasons probably include their relative low cost, ability to conform to any body shape and the fact that frozen peas reside in so many household freezers.

Something to think about anyway. Share your thoughts about frozen peas!

Should I be using frozen peas on my injury???

Despite mentioning above the good light that frozen peas are seen in, there is no clear information that any form of frozen object is better than another to use on an injury. Make sure that whatever you choose to use (ice bag, flexible ice pack, frozen peas or anything else) is able to conform to the body part to give an even cooling effect and ensure that you place a tea towel (or similar) around the frozen object to ensure that you avoid ice burn to your skin.

1. Chesterton, L.S., Ross, L. & Foster, N. (2000). A comparative study of skin surface temperature responses to the application of a flexible frozen gel pack and a packet of frozen peas over 20 minutes. Physiotherapy 86(1) 35.