Right as you place a bag of ice on your skin, you feel it. But what exactly is it that you feel, and why does it change? Is what you’re feeling normal? Here are the four stages of what you should feel as you ice a body part and how long each stage lasts.
Stage 1: Cold
This is the immediate sensation you feel when you apply the ice. It’s unpleasant, but something we all know and can generally deal with. This phase usually lasts from minutes 1-3.
Stage 2: Burning
The “Cold” feeling will eventually grow stronger and more unpleasant as it builds in intensity to a burning type sensation. This is when most people want to give up as it is the least comfortable. This phase lasts from minutes 3-5, so don’t give up, it won’t last that long!
Stage 3: Aching
As the intensity begins to subside, the burning will be replaced with an aching type feeling. You’ve made it over the hump! Any sort of unpleasant feelings should only continue to decrease. It will still be uncomfortable, but this stage lasts from minutes 5-7.
Stage 4: Numbness
The last stage in the icing saga is blissful numbness. This stage signals you have neared the finish line. After about 7 minutes you’ll have numbness. Don’t ice for longer than 20 minutes at any one time and allow for at least 30 minutes between sessions for your tissues to rewarm.
So that’s it! To remember these stages, you can use the acronym CBAN. If your feelings differ from these stages, there may be a reason (like if you have Raynaud’s as I do), but you should check with your doctor to ensure it’s nothing serious.