Should I Ice or Should I Heat?

This is a question that is asked very frequently by people regarding their injury.

VS 

Any acute injury (new injury or flare-up of an existing injury) as a result of trauma, over exertion or overuse should have ICE applied over the first 48 hours as per the RICE guidelines. Heat should NEVER be applied to an acute injury!

Any chronic (long-term) injury or injury that flares up due to static postures would benefit most from the application of HEAT to the area. However, if you know from experience though that you gain relief from ice with your chronic injury, then this is perfectly fine to use.

Of course, things aren't always as simple as this and there are always exceptions to the rules. If you are unsure, consult your health professional.

What does RICE mean?

So you injure yourself and you're told to RICE. But what does this actually mean? Rice stands for REST, ICE, COMPRESSION & ELEVATION.

REST refers to ceasing the activity leading to injury and then limiting ANY activity involving that body part as much as possible.

ICE refers to placing an ice pack, frozen peas or any other cold item directly over the site of injury. This should be done for 20 minutes in every 2 hour period in the first 48 hours following injury.

COMPRESSION refers to placing a bandage, elastic sleeving or compressive sportswear over the injured area in an effort to limit the swelling at the site of injury which can be detrimental to heeling. This is VERY IMPORTANT and often overlooked.

ELEVATION refers to raising the injured body part again in an effort to minimise the damaging effect of excess swelling. For example, if you injure your ankle, you should ensure that your ankle is resting higher than your knee which in turn is higher than your hip. This same principle applies for all other body parts. 

The length of time that RICE should be utilised for varies depending on the nature of the injury. As a guide, this should be conducted for 48 hours following an injury. To determine the extent of injury and to receive appropriate treatment, you should consult with your health professional.

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.