When used to treat injuries at home, cold therapy refers to therapy with ice or gel packs that are usually kept in the freezer until needed. These remain one of the simplest, time-tested remedies for managing pain and swelling. Cold therapy can be applied in various ways, including ice packs, coolant sprays, ice massage, and whirlpools, or ice baths.
Stop applying ice if you lose feeling on the skin where you are applying it. If cold therapy doesn't help your pain go away, contact your healthcare provider.
Also, you may want to avoid cold therapy if you have certain medical conditions, like diabetes, that affect how well you can sense tissue damage.
Cold sensations will go through 4 stages: Cold, Burning, Aching and Numbness. No matter how long you've had ice on you, once you hit the numb stage, REMOVE THE ICE! Your body is too cold and continuing to keep the ice on, when your body can't feel it, will cause damages.