Ice Ice Baby!

• Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
• by amy

As an Athletic Therapist, I spent lots of time advising athletes about the benefits of ice.  Using ice is a great way to reduce pain and put a stop to the inflammatory process, yet few, both high school athletes and more "seasoned" veterans, embrace it!  Don't criticize it ... use it!

A great tool to have in your arsenal is ice massage.  It's just what is sounds like ... a massage with ice.  Simply place a dixie cup filled with water in the freezer, and you have a block of ice.  Peel some of the paper away, and you've got a little handle to hold that block of ice.  It's important to keep the block of ice moving over the desired body part, as you don't want to cause any damage to your skin.  While you should believe me when I talk about the benefits of ice massage, check out this post in Competitor about a chat with CrossFit's own K-Star (mobility WOD Jedi Master).  Just keep in mind that it's going to be messy, so plan accordingly.  Adding some BioFreeze or Flex-All can add a nice analgesic effect, although it adds to the mess!

Another fabulous tool to have in your arsenal is contrast baths.  Going from hot water immersion to cold water immersion, numerous times, can definitely do some good.  Check out this old post from John Welbourn about recovery, contrast baths (use showers as I'm pretty sure you don't have the luxury of access to a training room with numerous whirlpools), hangovers, and performance.

Any guess as to the player Welbourn references in said article?  All NFC East fans know him, especially Washington Redskins fans!