When the entire body has been in chilly surroundings it becomes thoroughly chilled and its various functions are slowed down and depressed. However, if only a portion of the body is chilled, its activities are heightened.

An ice massage is the local application of ice to a portion of the body. During ice massage, blood flow to the body part is greatly decreased at firs,t but then greatly increased. Exercise afterward may further heighten blood flow.

The patient will normally experience four stages during treatment:
1. A cold, uncomfortable sensation
2. Burning
3. Aching of short duration
4. Relative numbness

Indications and Counterindications

Ice massage treatment can help with the following health problems:

• Joint pain such as bursitis
• Muscle pain such as stains or myositis
• Acute neck or lower back pain

According to Dr. Neil Nedley, massage can have psychological benefits as well:

There is clear evidence that massage helps humans deal with stress. The mechanisms by which massage exerts its effects are not completely understood. What is not clear is whether those stress-relieving effects are due to the physical benefits of massage, physical contact with another supportive individual, or a combination of the two. Without knowing whether it works mostly on a physical or social level, I have arbitrarily placed it in the physical category.

In one illuminating study, family members massaged children who were suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Children with mild to moderate juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were massaged by their parents 15 minutes a day for 30 days (while a control group engaged in relaxation therapy). The children’s anxiety and stress hormone (cortisol) levels were immediately decreased by the massage. Over the 30-day period their pain decreased according to self-reports, parent reports, and their physician’s assessment of pain (both the incidence and severity). Pain-limiting activities were also increased.

Massage also appears to benefit individuals who have primary psychiatric disorders. A 30-minute back massage was given daily for a five-day period to 52 hospitalized children and adolescents with personality problems who were also depressed. Compared with a control group who viewed relaxing videotapes, the massaged subjects were less depressed, less anxious, and had lower saliva cortisol levels after the massage. In addition, nurses rated the subjects as being less anxious and more cooperative on the last day of the study, and night time sleep increased over this period.ⁱ

However, ice massage treatment is dangerous if you have the following health conditions:

• Coldness
• Stroke Rheumatoid arthritis
• “Shoulder-hand syndrome”

Procedure

Equipment

• Two pillows
• Plastic sheet
• Four thick towels
• One pair of mitts
• One or two pieces of ice the size of a one-ounce glass or small juice can

Important Considerations

• Do not prolong a rub directly over a bony area
• Be certain patient is warm—give a hot foot bath if necessary

When treatment is given to the back, have the patient lie face down with one pillow under the abdomen, another pillow under the feet and a small towel under the head.

1. Hold the ice block firmly with the mitt on one hand.
2. Rub ice in circular motion over painful area and slightly beyond on all sides.
3. For the first few strokes, alternate rubbing with the ice and with you bare hand, to reduce the shock of the cold on the skin.
4. If acute pain relief is the object of the treatment, stop the ice massage once the area becomes numb, or continue for 12-15 minutes if healing a sprain or strain is needed.
5. Immediately following the ice massage, the patient should do carefully planned resistive exercise involving every muscle around the painful part. A second ice rub may be necessary for complete relief.