Ice Ice Baby

I have been dealing with shin splints off and on for well over a year.  I have also had some Achilles tendonitis.  One of the best things you can do for both of these injuries is to ice them several times a day.  

Do you still use a bag of peas or ice?  There are more effective ways to ice those pesky injuries.  Two popular options are the cup method and the CryoCup.  By applying the ice using the cup method, you are essentially combining the benefits of using an ice pack with massage, which will reduce the time it takes for the cold to penetrate to the injured muscle or joint.  You greatly reduce the amount of time you will need to ice.  I typically will use the cup method for about 5-7 minutes per session. With a bag of ice you would ice for 15 minutes and still would not get the same benefits as the cup method.

The CryoCup is a plastic cup with a ring that holds the ice when removed from the cup.  This allows you to keep your hands from getting too cold when holding the ice.  You can find the CryoCup on Amazon starting at about $7.50.

There is a cheaper option though.  I bought a package of solo cups at the store.  I fill up a cup or two and keep them in the freezer.  Make sure to leave a little room at the top of the cup because the water will expand when it freezes.  Once frozen you can just pop the ice out or cut the cup open.  To keep my hand from getting too cold, I just hold the ice with a folded wash cloth.  This is an inexpensive solution to icing that works well.  A 50 count package of Solo cups is about $3.50 at your local grocery store. Some people also use Styrofoam or paper cups. Make sure to put a towel under you so the water does not go everywhere.

Let me know what other methods of icing you have used and how it worked.