Games can be intense and often lead to muscle strain and muscle pain in various parts of the body. Cold therapy is among the essential procedures you need after every game to speed up recovery. Cold reduces the nerve conduction speed and slows down blood circulation, and these ultimately lead to reduced body pain, inflammation, and swelling.
There are various cold therapy methods. They include the use of ice baths, soaked paper towels, and ice packs. Read on to identify which among these is suitable for your post-game recovery. Click here to find more.
Ice baths
Ice baths are also referred to as cryotherapy. It is a cold therapy technique whereby you immerse yourself in ice-cold water for 10 to 15 minutes to help reduce soreness and muscle pain. If you are wondering whether you will feel extremely cold, the answer is yes. However, after leaving the cold water most people feel great after the game. The burning muscles and soreness dissipate and leave your body feeling good and more relaxed.
Sleep is crucial for recovery and helps you feel less fatigue. Ice baths will help you feel more relaxed and relieve pain, and this ensures you sleep soundly. Taking these baths after every game will help improve your reaction time while in every game.
Being immersed in an ice bath cools your whole body, and the decreased temperature will limit any inflammatory response on different body muscles. The process is easy and takes less time to treat all your muscles compared to using an ice pack.
Being immersed in ice water is also known as a way to train your vagus nerve to help you face very stressful situations, such as losing a game you expected to win.
Ice packs
Ice packs are made of ice wrapped in a towel or plastic bag. They are great in relieving pain especially when you feel it in specific body parts. You should apply ice packs between 15 to 20 minutes to get desired results. Long application of ice packs will give you an ice pack burn.
Ice pack application is most effective within the first 48 hours after your game. Most use the packs to massage their back muscles. Unfortunately, ice packs can only treat a specific area of the body at a time. Therefore, it might not be a favorable post-game option since you work all your body muscles while gaming.
Other cold therapy devices
Soaked paper towel or washcloth, coolant sprays, and chemical cold are among the other units used for cold therapy. The washcloth is used to compress the painful regions to bring you muscle relief. Coolant sprays are often mixed with menthol to create a soothing feeling. A chemical cold pack is activated with a single squeeze and placed on the area with aching muscles.
These cold therapy methods work to relieve pain, but may only offer relief and limit inflammation for a limited amount of time. On the other hand, ice baths offer relief up to four days post-gaming.
Conclusively, gaming is a fun activity but can lead to aching muscles and soreness. You are now informed about the best cold therapy method to use to help you recover faster and feel better after every game. Try out cold therapy and experience its amazing benefits today.
