For athletes, soccer players, and manual workers, sustaining injuries such as deep infected cuts and shallow wounds is sure. Luckily, ice is both safe and effective pain reliever for painful wounds. This article takes you through the process of curing your injuries with gel ice cold packs.
It’s worth noting that ice treatment doesn’t apply to all people. For instance, if you are diabetic or some heart complications, ice treatment is not your thing, as well as people who are hypersensitive or allergic to cold.
If you have to use ice, be sure to consult your doctor for sound treatment advice.
How to Use Gel Ice Packs for Quick Wound Healing
Using ice to cure injuries goes beyond placing a cold pack onto the injury. Its right use proves more effective than the best ointment for wounds in the market today.
You have to use ice packs right for happy results.
Luckily, we unveil the guide on how to properly use ice to heal your injuries quickly and effectively.
Step 1: Assess Your Injury First
Different treatment measures are applied for different type of injuries. Small skin browses or a muscle strains might require just a relaxing massage.
For advanced injuries such as joint dislocation, fractures, and others, we recommend specialized treatment. Unlike minor bumps and bruises that don’t require much detailed care, advanced injuries require professional handling.
If you notice concussions, this indicates a serious internal injury which calls for swift medical attention. Mostly, concussions manifest in form of amnesia and lack of consciousness.
Well, it may be difficult to evaluate yourself for the right attention, therefore, you need somebody else to evaluate your case.
These are the signs to watch out for:
- Loss of consciousness. Even the slightest loss of consciousness should serve as a sign of a concussion. In case this symptom is detected, immediately seek medical help.
- Severe persistent headache
- Disorientation
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Nausea/ vomiting.
- Ringing in ears
- Unclear strenuous speech
Step 2: Apply ice pack gel on injury
Wrap the ice pack in a towel and apply it to the affected area while avoiding direct skin contact as this may cause ice burns.
We recommend Ohuhu Gel Ice Packs because they are highly effective as they offers a better contact surface and are also easy to refreeze.
Alternatively, you can use ice cubes and massage directly onto the wounded area.
As a rule of the thumb, icing injuries should be effected immediately especially between the first 24 to 72 hours after the injury.
You should place the ice pack on top of the injured area for around 20 minutes before removing it. Press the ice pack to ensure you apply ice generously on the injured spot. Make sure you don’t reapply until the skin regains its normal feeling.
A precautionary note is that you should never leave an icepack on the skin as this could potentially damage your skins.
Keep on repeating the icing for 20 minutes, then two hours off, repeating the regimen for as long it as it takes to get the pain away.
Note that a deep infected wound will take relatively longer to heal.
Step 3: Observe R.I.C.E Practices
RICE is a procedure applied side by side with wounds/injury care and treatment.
R— Rest/Restrict. Lack of rest after icing your wound may slow the healing process or escalate the pains even further. Don’t indulge in weight carrying tasks within 24-48 hours following the icing to relax your body.
This is because injured body parts are so prone to damage. You ought to listen to your body to give it rest from strenuous activities.
I–Ice the area. Continue the icing for around 3 days until the pain subsides. Continual icing eliminates inflammation and facilitates faster healing of wounds.
C—Compression. Wrapping keeps the injured area intact. An elastic bandage will help in that matter. Compressing the affected area also minimizes swelling. However, be sure to make the wrapping friendly and not too tight.
If at any time you experience discomfort with the wrapping, unwrap it and redo it a little loosely.
E—Elevate the injury. Raise the affected area above the level of your heart to prevent the accumulation of fluids.
By raising the injured area, you help drain blood away to prevent swelling and inflammation. Without inflammation and swelling up, wound healing becomes a matter of hours.
In conclusion, Ohuhu Health advises that if suffering from back injury, lie down and place a pillow directly beneath the area. The elevation helps in draining away blood from the injury.
