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Cold Therapy with Ice Tape for Musculoskeletal Injuries

Cold Therapy with Ice Tape for Musculoskeletal Injuries

by | Personal Injury, Sports Injuries

For individuals into sports, fitness enthusiasts, and those that engage in physical activities, musculoskeletal injuries are common. Can using ice tape help during the initial or acute phase of injury decrease inflammation and swelling to expedite recovery and return to activities sooner?

Cold Therapy with Ice Tape for Musculoskeletal InjuriesIce Tape

After a musculoskeletal injury, individuals are recommended to follow the R.I.C.E. method to help reduce swelling and inflammation.  R.I.C.E. is the acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. (Michigan Medicine. University of Michigan. 2023) The cold helps to decrease pain, lower tissue temperature, and decrease swelling around the site of the injury. By controlling the inflammation with ice and compression early after injury, individuals can maintain the appropriate range of motion and mobility around the injured body part. (Jon E. Block. 2010) There are different ways to apply ice to an injury.

  • Store-bought ice bags and cold packs.
  • Soaking the injured body part in a cold whirlpool or tub.
  • Making reusable ice packs.
  • A compression bandage can be used together with the ice.

Ice Tape is a compression bandage that provides cold therapy all at once. After an injury, applying it can help decrease the pain and swelling during the acute inflammatory phase of healing. (Matthew J. Kraeutler et al., 2015)

How The Tape Works

The tape is a flexible bandage that is infused with therapeutic cooling gel. When applied to an injured body part and exposed to air, the gel activates, generating a cold sensation around the area. The therapeutic medicinal effect can last five to six hours. Combined with a flexible bandage, it provides ice therapy and compression. The ice tape can be used straight out of the package but can also be stored in the refrigerator to increase the cold effect. Depending on the maker’s instructions, the tape should not be stored in the freezer as this can make it too hard to wrap around the injured area.

Advantages

The benefits include the following:

Easy to Use

  • The product is easy to use.
  • Take out the tape, and start wrapping it around the injured body part.

Fasteners Not Required

  • The wrap sticks to itself, so the tape stays in place without using clips or fasteners.

Easy to Cut

  • The standard roll is 48 inches long by 2 inches wide.
  • Most injuries require enough to wrap around the injured area.
  • Scissors cut the exact amount needed, and store the rest in the resealable bag.

Reusable

  • After 15 to 20 minutes of application, the product can be easily removed, rolled up, stored in the bag, and used again.
  • The tape can be used multiple times.
  • The tape begins to lose its cooling quality after several uses.

Portable

  • The tape does not need to be placed in a cooler when traveling.
  • It is easily portable and perfect for a quick ice and compression application immediately after an injury.
  • It can decrease pain and inflammation and kept at the workplace.

Disadvantages

A few disadvantages include the following:

Chemical Odor

  • The gel on the flexible wrap can have a medicine odor.
  • It is not quite as powerful smelling as pain creams, but the chemical odor could bother some individuals.

Might Not Be Cold Enough

  • The tape works for immediate pain relief and inflammation, but it may not get cold enough for the user when applied right from the package at room temperature.
  • However, it can be placed in a refrigerator to increase the coldness and may provide a more therapeutic cooling effect, especially for those dealing with tendinitis or bursitis.

Stickiness Could Be Distracting

  • The tape could be a bit sticky for some.
  • This sticky factor can be a minor annoyance.
  • However, it just feels sticky when being applied.
  • A couple of flecks of the gel may get left behind when removed.
  • The ice tape can also stick to clothing.

For individuals looking for a quick, on-the-go cooling therapy for injured or aching body parts, ice tape may be an option. It could be good to have on hand to provide cooling compression if a minor injury occurs while participating in athletics or physical activities and relief for overuse or repetitive strain injuries.

Treating Ankle Sprains

References

Michigan Medicine. University of Michigan. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE).

Block J. E. (2010). Cold and compression in the management of musculoskeletal injuries and orthopedic operative procedures: a narrative review. Open access journal of sports medicine, 1, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.2147/oajsm.s11102

Kraeutler, M. J., Reynolds, K. A., Long, C., & McCarty, E. C. (2015). Compressive cryotherapy versus ice-a prospective, randomized study on postoperative pain in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair or subacromial decompression. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 24(6), 854–859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2015.02.004

A Hot Bath to Relax Back Tension, and Pain

A Hot Bath to Relax Back Tension, and Pain

by | Chronic Back Pain

Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez shares some how-to advice on taking hot baths for back tension and pain. A bath can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience in self-care for back pain. There are medical benefits from taking a hot bath, as well. A hot bath can be extremely helpful when it comes to back pain.

Dr. Jimenez helps his patients with spinal ailments and conditions that range from arthritis, degenerative disc disease to nerve compression, sciatica, auto accident injuries, sports injuries, etc. In addition to chiropractic, physical therapy, diet, and exercise, he has also seen the power of home remedies, like a hot bath.

There are scientific studies that have shown how hydrotherapy can relieve back pain. Dr. Jimenez describes a hot bath as a muscle-relaxing stimulus. It opens up the muscles, which allows more blood to flow through, which in turn helps to heal injury/s, tightness, and soreness. It helps to clean out lactic acid, which is known to cause muscle pain, fatigue, and muscle cramps.

 

11860 Vista Del Sol, Ste. 128 Hot Bath to Relax Back Tension, Soreness, and Pain

 

Here is what usually happens to the spine when soreness, tightness, aching, and pain present. A spinal structure like a nerve, disc, vertebral bone, or other tissue is injured or on the verge of injury, and the muscles around it contract closely in to prevent more damage.

This is called muscle spasm. Don’t worry the body is supposed to respond this way, as it means the damaged tissue is less likely to sustain further injury. However, muscle spasms can be painful. Much like a Charley horse, a back spasm can have the same effect.

For example, someone standing or working for an extended period places the muscle/s under constant tension, which means they have a higher chance of having a spasm and developing painful symptoms. A hot bath relaxes the muscle/s and reduces/removes the aching soreness and pain. Here are some tips to help relax the back muscles. �

Try Epsom Salt

Taking a bath with Epsom salt or minerals that dissolve in water can be helpful, but are not necessary. Many are fantastic skin relaxants, but if you have a hot bath with or without the salt, it�s not going to make a huge difference. What makes the bath work is the heat and the floatation. This what creates the benefits.

Soak 15-20 Minutes

It is really up to the individual, as to how long they want to stay in the tub. One question to ask is how long can you take sitting in hot water? Hot tubs are normally heated to about 102 to 103 degrees. With these types of tubs, individuals can sit for a half-hour or more. However, most of us do not have a jacuzzi, so remember that a regular bath will be warmer possibly 105 or 106 degrees. It all depends on how long you can take the heat. �

� Remember not to scald yourself with a bath that is way too hot to soak in, please. It�s ok to get the water running hot, but as it fills turn the heat down and let it cool slightly before stepping in. Most individuals don�t need more than 15 to 20 minutes of soaking time maximum.

As for how often one should take a hot bath, Dr. Jimenez explains that it depends on the severity of the back pain and what type of work and activities the individual does. For most three times a week offers a balanced therapy. If an individual has a strenuous physical job like construction work, manual lifting, standing work, or doing highly repetitive work then they�ll need to do more than 3 times a week.

Strengthen the Body’s Core

A strong core can support and protect the spine, along with the rest of the body. Squeezing and contracting the back, side, and front muscles make the core strong and robust. It behaves like a steel beam supporting the spine when added protection is needed.

11860 Vista Del Sol, Ste. 128 Hot Bath to Relax Back Tension, Soreness, and Pain

Stretch Out

After a hot bath is a perfect time to stretch. Toe touches can loosen tight hamstrings that can strain the lower back. Also, try out yoga’s upward-facing dog pose. Sun salutations can help the spine go through a wide range of motion. Therefore do them slowly and hold each pose for a few breaths. A long salutation or two can feel tremendous when the spine is nice and relaxed.

11860 Vista Del Sol, Ste. 128 Hot Bath to Relax Back Tension, Soreness, and Pain

Take Care When Getting Out

Hot baths might not be a good idea or the right option for certain people. If there is instability in your spine and the vertebra move around more than they are supposed to then a hot bath might not be the best option. Instead, a hot shower with a massage setting could be equivalent to taking a hot bath.

However, if a hot bath is not helping with back pain it could be a sign of something more than muscle tightness or a muscle spasm. A spine specialist or chiropractor can give you a proper diagnosis.

What Chiropractors Do & Why They Do It

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