Should I Ice It? What the Science Actually Says About Icing Injuries
Sprained ankle? Ice it.
Sore knee after running? Ice it.
Wake up with an aching low back? Ice it.
For decades, icing has been the automatic response to pain, swelling, and injury. But is icing actually necessary—or even helpful? To answer that, we need to understand what inflammation really is and how our body heals.
Should We Be Fighting Inflammation?
No.
Inflammation is a normal and essential part of the body’s healing process.
When tissue is damaged, the immune system responds the same way it would to an infection:
Blood vessels dilate
Hormones such as IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor) flood the area
A healing cascade begins
This results in heat, redness, and swelling—just like a fever.
This process must occur for tissue repair and remodeling to begin.
Research shows that icing immediately after an injury can actually slow early healing.
While context matters, gentle movement, not ice, is often the better first step.
What About Swelling?
Swelling is different from inflammation.
Inflammation = healing response
Swelling = leftover fluid and waste that hasn’t been cleared
Swelling isn’t inherently harmful, but it can cause stiffness, discomfort, and decreased mobility.
The best way to reduce swelling?
Movement. Not ice.
Muscle contractions act like a pump to clear excess fluid. This can be achieved with:
Light range of motion
Gentle walking
Cardiovascular activity
Compression wraps or taping
Can Icing Be Harmful?
Potentially, yes.
Excessive or prolonged icing can lead to:
Tissue damage
Nerve irritation or nerve injury
Skin burns (especially with direct ice-to-skin contact)
Temporary decreases in strength, coordination, agility, and speed
While these risks are rare, they’re worth noting—especially since icing is often used casually and frequently.
What About the R.I.C.E. Method?
In 2015, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who first coined the R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol in the 1970s, retracted his original recommendation.
Decades of research showed that:
Ice can temporarily improve pain tolerance
But icing has minimal to no effect on actual tissue healing
Movement and progressive loading speed recovery far more effectively
Dr. Mirkin now recommends:
Ice only for short durations (<10 minutes)
Only within the first 6 hours post-injury
Never as the primary rehab strategy
Does Ice Help With Pain?
Research is mixed.
When ice may help:
After orthopedic surgeries (short bouts can reduce pain and improve motion)
When combined with compression and early movement
During the first few days post–ankle sprain
When ice is not helpful:
When used alone with no follow-up movement
Long-term pain management
As the primary method to “fix” an injury
Ice can help short-term pain, but only if followed by progressive loading and movement.
The Takeaway
The research is extensive—and often contradictory—but here’s the bottom line:
❌ Icing alone is not an effective long-term solution
❌ Inflammation is not the enemy
✔️ Warmth, redness, and soreness are signs of healing
✔️ Swelling is a waste product that needs movement to clear
✔️ Fix the cause, not the symptoms
Instead of focusing on eliminating inflammation or pain, focus on why the injury occurred. Look at your training volume, technique, recovery habits, and daily routine.
If you’re unsure what to modify, talk to your rehab team—we’re here to help you recover smarter and stay healthy.
References:
1. Mirkin, G (2015). Why Ice Delays Recovery
2. Collins, NC. (2008). Is Ice right? Does Cryotherapy Improve Outcome for Acute Soft Tissue Injury? Journal of Emergency Medicine
3. Bleakley, C., Costello, J.,& Glasgow, P.(2012). Should Athletes Return to Sport After Applying Ice? Sports Med
