How to Use Ice Massage Therapy for Back Pain

While any form of applying cold to the injured area—such as a bag of ice wrapped in a towel or a commercial ice pack—should be helpful, combining massage with ice application is a nice alternative for pain relief.

Applying ice massage therapy

To do ice massage therapy, a regular ice cube may be used, but it’s better to use a larger piece of ice. One easy way to do this is to freeze water in a paper or styrofoam cup, then peel the top inch or two of the cup to expose the ice surface.

Someone else can give the ice massage, with the patient lying on his or her stomach in a comfortable position with a pillow placed under the hips to keep stress off the low back. Patients can also give themselves ice massages by lying on their side and reaching around to apply ice to the low back.

Guidelines for ice massage therapy

For optimal results, ice massage therapy should be gently applied to the lower back as follows:

• Apply the ice gently and massage in a circular motion
• Focus the ice massage therapy on the six-inch area of the back where the pain is felt
• Avoid applying the ice massage directly on the bony portion of the spine
• Limit the ice massage therapy to about 5 minutes at a time (to avoid an ice burn)

In general, one should never apply ice directly to the skin to avoid burning the skin. However, with ice massage therapy it is okay to apply the ice to the skin because the ice doesn’t stay in one place for long.

The key to ice massage therapy is to achieve numbness in the area of injury without burning the skin. Once this ‘numbness’ has been reached, gentle, minimal stress movements can be made. When the numbness has worn off, the ice massage can be applied again for another cycle. Ice massage therapy can be repeated two to three times a day.

Ice alone can help ease pain

One does not have to include massage with the ice to benefit. Simple application of a cold pack or ice placed in a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel or other protective barrier (to protect the skin from ice burn) is also effective. Ice or a cold pack should be applied for no more than 20 minutes at a time and can be applied several times a day (e.g. up to eight or ten times in a twenty-four hour period). There are many types of ice packs that can be used, such as:

• A commercial cold pack or ice pack. Many types of ice packs (such as those filled with gel) are available at drug stores and general merchandise stores. These can be kept in the freezer ready for use when needed, and re-frozen after each use.
• A homemade ice pack. To make an ice pack, simply put the desired amount of ice in a plastic bag and squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing it. Some people like to add a little water to the ice so that the bag is not so lumpy. The bag should be wrapped in a towel before applying it to the painful area.
• A frozen towel. To make a towel into a cold pack, place a folded, damp towel in a plastic back and put it in the freezer for ten to twenty minutes. Then take the towel out of the bag and place it on the painful area.
• Frozen food. If ice is needed quickly, it is easy to grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of the freezer, wrap it in a towel and apply to the painful area.

To avoid getting an ice burn, be sure to limit application of ice to no more than twenty minutes and do not fall asleep lying on an ice pack.

• Article written By:
• Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD

April 24, 2006

Print