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"Icing" - Pain relief technique

Miryam Ehrlich Williamson


I have iced both my knees and (with help) my low back/tailbone area with considerable success. The technique my PT taught me is different from simply applying an ice pack. Here's how I do it:

Freeze water in individual paper cups -- bathroom size or one size larger. To ice, tear off the first inch or two of the cup, leaving the bottom and lower sides on the ice to give you something to hold on to. Rub the ice lightly in a circle, the circumference of which is wider than the painful area, with the most painful part in the center. Keep the ice moving slowly in a circle, covering the entire area, for about 10 minutes. When the center of the circle begins to turn pale, it's time to stop. You can repeat this every 3-4 hours if it helps.

What this does, mainly, is release endorphins (serotonin precursors) in your brain, which relieves pain. There is also a local pain- relieving effect where you rubbed the ice, but the generalized effect is the more important.


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