5 Mistakes to Avoid While Applying an Ice Wrap

Your doctor might have advised to treat your ankle injury with ice wraps. Using an ice pack reduces pain and swelling in the affected area. But how many of us are aware of the fact that improper icing can heal the injury slower than expected! Just tossing an ice bag is not enough to relief the ailing knee or ankle. Here are a few common mistakes all of us make while using an ice pack on the injured body part.

1.         Applying ice bag directly on the skin

Most of us do this mistake of using ice directly on the injured ankle or any other part. Direct contact of ice with the skin can cause severe frost bite on sensitive skin and can even obstruct the blood flow. Always use a towel or cloth to wrap the frozen ice into it and then apply it.

2.         Icing for too long

It is true that there are numerous benefits of foot icewraps, but that doesn’t mean that prolong use can relief pain faster. Using ice wrap for a long period of time can damage the skin and reduces the blood flow to areas with little fats or muscles such as the ankle. The ideal time to ice an injury is immediately after the injury and then for maximum 10 minutes for another round. 

3.         Not elevating the affected area

To reduce the swelling, it is important to elevate the arm or leg because it increases the blood circulation in the area. If you are icing without elevating, then you are just numbing the pain. Swelling will remain unaffected without elevation. 

4.         Inadequate compression

Using an ice wrap provides sufficient compression to ease out pain and swelling in the injured part of the body. These are easy to use and clean. 

5.         Stressing the injury while icing

Rest is unavoidable for fast recovery of an injury. Ice alone cannot cure the pain and inflammation. Place the injured knee comfortably as soon as the injury occurs. This will contribute to faster recovery of the joint. 

There are numerous icing accessories available in the market. Most common of all are bags and wraps. Visit your nearest pharmacy and ask for an icing accessory now.