I have very painful achilles tendonitis, and I’ve been told to apply an icepack.
How exactly does cold temperature alleviate the pain and promote healing? Or does its effect revert when not constantly applied?
As a person with tendonitis (wrist), just stopped by to provide any (im)moral support.
Prior to my surgeries, I was told to alternate heat and ice for pain and swelling, usually in 15min increments. The ice helped keep the swelling down and the heat helped with the pain. One doc suggested using a strong creme ointment that is primarily used for arthritus.
Best of luck & hopes for a speedy recovery.
I have chronic “epicondylitis” aka “tennis elbow.” According to my occupational therapists, icing does two things
- it promotes circulation, which helps the body do the most it can to repair itself.
- It reduced inflammation – since tendonitis is usually caused by a tendon which passes through a narrow gap becoming inflamed, the inflammation causes the tendon to fit even worse through its spot, so the injury keeps getting aggravated. Also, there is some research to suggest that inflammation itself is damaging, and not just a benign symptom.
Keep up with your icing regime! It really, really helps plus its cheap and noninvasive. If you get bored with the tedium, ask your therapist if “ice massage” would be appropriate for your injury – its more uncomfortable but takes less time. Depending on the location/exact situation, a compression sleeve might be another thing you could try (ask your dr/physical therapist).