It is always good to use REAL ice and not Gel packs to slow down the inflammation to the injury site. Gel packs are actually colder than ice (0 degrees) ranging as cold as -18 degrees Celsius. This can be an issue when you follow the traditional 10 minutes of icing, when the cold source is so much colder.
Quick Tips when icing an injury:
1) Wrap the ice pack or ice cube with a towel and apply to skin (never have leave the ice directly on the skin to prevent frostbite)
2) Use ice (Frozen water) and not gel packs as the temperature is colder
3) ALWAYS monitor your site you are cooling as everyone's ability to cope with cold is different. Do a quick test of scraping/scratching the cooled area every couple minutes. When you scratch your skin and you do not feel it (numb). Take off the ice pack.
LiveStrong.com has an interesting article about ice pack burn and the symptoms to look for frostbite.
Have any of you suffered from frostbite due to icing an injury?
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