Is ice helpful or harmful? Here’s what the research says

Key Points You Should Know:

1. Ice relieves pain, but only temporarily.

The most consistent benefit of icing is short-term pain relief. It can help calm soreness or take the edge off right after an injury or flare-up. But keep in mind: pain relief doesn’t equal healing.

2. Icing may slow long-term healing.

Studies on muscle injuries show that tissues left to heal without ice regenerate faster and with less scarring than tissues exposed to repeated icing. In other words, while ice makes you feel better in the moment, it may hold your healing back in the long run.

3. Reduced swelling vs. reduced blood flow.

Ice constricts blood vessels and reduces swelling, but that also limits blood flow and slows the body’s natural inflammatory response, which is a key part of healing. Suppressing it too much can be counterproductive.

4. Timing matters.

Icing can be useful in the first 12–24 hours after an injury or surgery, especially for pain and swelling. But prolonged or frequent use beyond that early phase may delay recovery.

5. Movement may be better than ice.

When you move and contract your muscles, the lymphatic vessels deep inside the body are squeezed, and the fluid within forces it to move. Early, gentle activity and gradual loading of the joint are more effective at restoring function than ice.