Can you ice too much? I just wondered as the icing does help enormously with the pain,
The physio in hospital said just 20 mins every hour . One physio said only fifteen minutes.
What are the dangers of leaving it on too long? Last night I eventually dozed off with an ice bag on it. I am on day eight post op.
I was told 10 mins 4 times a day was plenty . If you leave it on too long it draws blood away as it thinks your cold and blood goes to vital organs to protect them, so my physio said
I applied ice twice a day for 30 mins. My knees were not very swollen. Pain responds to pain killers. Ice did nothing for my pain. Best wishes.
I was told the same 10 minutes r times a day.x
I would leave it on for the time specified. Overnight is too long .
I was told to ice as much as possible. So for me, if I'm not up walking, I'm icing.
You can only ice too much if the ice pack is directly on your skin. Here in the United States we have what I call an ice machine which is like a small ice chest with a long tube and a pad that goes around the knee tied with an ace bandage. It pumps 40° water around the knee. We are told to use it constantly for the first couple of weeks. So no you cannot ice too much. It keeps the swelling down which keeps pain at bay.
That 20 on 20 off seems to be the formula. I've had some say you can burn the tissue but I've gone to sleep with ice on for hours and no problems. You just never want it to get pastic bag next to skin. I use a thin towel or pillow case. Over the last 6 or 7 surgeries no have used a gel Pac. I had one nurse that absolutely drove me nuts with the timing thing but everone else just ignores it ascling as I'm happy and content........sort of the let sleeping dogs lie theory.
Agreed!
I have that as well, polar ice, I love it
Hi Saralice, I was told to as ice as much as I wanted and I used it until the ice melted, was told to leave it on for a minimum of 20mins to help with swelling and pain .. only thing I found that the implant used to get so cold and took awhile to warm up again. Ice, ice ice .. can never ice too much. If like me in hospital I had the kryo pack on all the time I was in bed.
Hi Joyfull, down here in Australia that chest is called a Kryo ice chest, but I've found that if you buy a decent pack that comes in a terry towelling cover works wonders!
Forgot to mention that I have always used a pricey icepack that comes with it's own terry toweling cover and works great. Now at nearly 10mths post op I've been using heat and finding that now is helping the pain I've still got .. physio recommended that a couple of months ago.
Where did you get the polar ice from?
Hi Please could u tell me where you bought this from. Thanks
Try Amazon
I bought it in 'Chemist Warehouse' in Australia it's the size of a supermarket and has everything medicinal etc you could ever want. I'm sure wherever you are you'd have something similiar
Replied to your msg
They actually sent it home with me from the hospital back in 2009 after arthroscopic on my knee. But I believe Amazon has it bc I have purchased replacement parts there
Saralice, I have understood about 20 minutes at a time, and I don't remember being told how often. I sometimes did it once they were frozen again. And I've recently been using some CryoMax wraps that I've left on for even longer periods of time - I'm a bit of a rebell. But I'm sure part of the concern of leaving it on too long is getting frostbitten. Ice responsibly.