Role Of Cold Therapy in Pain Management
December 31, 2008 by Dr Arun Pal Singh
Filed under Pain Management, Physiotherapy
Cold therapy has been used for relief of pain since ancient times. In recent years, it is being used in the form of ice packs, vapocoolant sprays and ice massage.
It is most useful in acute musculoskeletal pain associated with sports injures or trauma.
Whenever cold stimulus (ice pack) is applied to skin, it melts and removes heat from tissues. This leads to vasoconstriction (The blood vesseles get constricted, their lumen and their capacity to carry blood increases), reduction of nerve conductivity (As a result the nerve becomes less sensitive), reduction of muscle spasm and spasticity. Once the cold stimulus is taken off, the temperature of the area reaches normal level by vasodilatation.
This vasodilatation bring fresh blood which flushes inflammatory mediations. Again reapplication of cold stimulus repeats same event.
Alternate vasoconstriction and vasodilatation helps in tissues healing and pain relief.
Ice can be applied in towels as a pack or by immersion in a bath. Damp towels dipped in an ice and water mixture or containing crushed or flaked ice, can be wrapped round painful and swollen joints. The towels are changed every few minutes.
Ice Massage
In ice massage, an ice cube is wrapped in a towel at one end and the free end is massaged over the skin. This can act as counterirritant if applied for 5 to 7 minute to relieve pain and muscle spasm.
Ice therapy can alleviate pain frequently and onset of pain can be delayed by early application of therapy. This will reduce bleeding and oedema by causing vasoconstriction.
One should be careful while applying ice therapy for extremities like digits and toes for the risk of ischaemia or decreased supply of the oxygen to the tissues
Related posts:
