Excessive use of ice

[kscope09]

Though my op was  back in the summer and my knee is at last making decent progress, I still feel it is a good idea to use ice after exercise, though I have very little pain in that knee.

The problem is that my family and friends are all telling me that icing is going to damage the knee, but they don't actually know anything.  They just think surely it can't be good to ne still using ice.

What I want to know is aside from ice burns what other adverse effects may be encountered as a result of excessive use of icepacks.  Can it damage the joint and lead to osteoarthritis and degeneration of tendons and ligaments?  That is what my family keep telling me.

[kscope09]

i don't want to be a pain but I'm still getting a lot of grief about this, so anything about the effects of using too much ice other than ice burns would be really useful.  Will it cause long term soft tissue damage?

[mollyc]

I've been icing my knee since my ski accident in February (and subsequent surgery in May).  Each time I see my surgeon, he asks if I still ice and gives me positive reinforcement when I tell him that I do. I've tapered off a lot in the last couple weeks (I ice mainly after exercise now, including long walks), but mainly cause I don't seem to need it anymore.  But, it has made a big difference for me up until very recently.

My boss had a double knee replacement about 15 months ago. He told me the other day that he still ices his knees 2x a day. If he doesn't, his patellar tendonitis flares up.  For him, icing keeps everything in check.

I don't know of any studies that suggest a problem with prolonged icing.  My advice is to do it if you seem to get some benefit from it.  Are you more sore when you don't ice? Then, keep icing. If not, I'd let it go.

[Lou123]

I haven't heard of any studies where the prolonged use of ice can cause damage.

The only thing I know about icing is that you should limit the amount of time you have the ice on for to about 10-20 minutes. Otherwise the blood vessels which have constricted to reduce blood flow go into reverse reaction and start to warm the tissue again.

[maryc]

Icing post exercise for no more than 20 minutes helps reduce imflamation.  If you still have swelling after exercise then icing should help.
Here's an article from cnn that talks about the effects of icing on arhtritic joints
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/27/CL.joint.health/
Sending healing rays your way

[Clarkey]

Another Member on my thread told me his Physio told him not to ice his knee for longer then 10 minutes but not sure if he right or not!

......10 MIN ICING MATE .....    ANY LONGER YOURS VEINS GET SMALLER IN YOUR KNEE STOPS BLOOD PUMPING AROUND PT TOLD ME THAT ...DONT THINKYOU HAVE DONE NO DAMAGE BUD JUST BE SORE IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THE KNEE TO HEAL REST UP WHEN YOU CAN....

Nick {2009}

[kscope09]

thank you all for your replies.  I've been told to ice but I've been getting som much grief off people at home who know absolutly nothing but cant stop criticising me just because they think i should have finished with it by now.

All I want to do at this stage is get rid of the last and ery stubborn bit of swelling and once I feel I don't need the ice i won't use it.  Well, not until next  time.