Proper Icing Techniques for Running Injuries

Ice is a woman runner's best friend. But there are a couple of Do's and Don'ts for icing an injury:

DO:

·      Ice the injured area for 10 - 20 minutes - no longer (super-cooling tissue can cause damage).

·      Ice immediately after a run or as soon as possible after an injury occurrence. The sooner you address the inflammation, the more effective the ice will be.

·      Apply ice at least two times a day and up to 5 times a day.

·      Allow at least 1 hour between ice sessions, letting the injured area return to normal body temperature between sessions.

DON'T

·      Don't use store bought ice packs and wraps, which warm to the body's temperature too rapidly. Make an ice pack with cubes or crushed ice. The best is a frozen bag of peas. ;-)

·       Never run immediately after icing. Cold makes the area tight and inflexible and therefore temporarily prone to further injury. You should wait at least an hour after icing to resume running - but the best is to ice after you are done with your workout.

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