Should I Still Use Ice on Injuries? What the Science Really Says

For years, athletes, trainers, and healthcare professionals have recommended the R.I.C.E. method to treat sprains, strains, and muscle pulls. But newer evidence is challenging that long-standing advice.
So, should you still ice an injury, or is it time to rethink the ice pack? Let’s explore what current research tells us about icing, inflammation, and effective recovery.

Why Ice Became the Go-To Injury Treatment

The idea of icing injuries took off in the 1970s when Dr. Gabe Mirkin coined the term R.I.C.E. to help manage swelling and pain. Cold therapy (or cryotherapy) reduces blood flow, limiting inflammation and numbing pain.
However, Dr. Mirkin later changed his position, stating in 2015 that ice may actually delay recovery by slowing down the body’s natural healing process (Mirkin, 2015).

Does Icing Reduce Inflammation — and Is That a Good Thing?

Yes, ice reduces inflammation — but research now shows that inflammation is essential for healing. It helps bring immune cells, oxygen, and nutrients to repair tissue damage.
In a 2011 Journal of Applied Physiology study, prolonged icing reduced macrophage activity — the immune cells responsible for tissue cleanup and regeneration (Takagi et al., 2011).
A systematic review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found no strong evidence that icing improves long-term recovery or function after soft tissue injuries (Bleakley et al., 2012).
Suppressing inflammation might make injuries feel better in the short term, but it may delay recovery in the long run.

Does Icing Help or Hurt Recovery?

Scientific evidence now suggests that icing doesn’t speed up healing — though it can reduce pain temporarily.
A review in Sports Medicine found that cryotherapy does not enhance tissue repair or performance recovery (Tipton et al., 2015).
Over-icing may even slow down muscle regeneration by restricting blood flow and nutrient delivery.
In short: use ice for comfort, not for healing.

The New Alternative: P.E.A.C.E. & L.O.V.E.

Modern sports medicine now promotes P.E.A.C.E. & L.O.V.E., a framework developed by Dubois and Esculier (2019) that focuses on education, movement, and circulation instead of suppressing inflammation.
P.E.A.C.E.
Protection
Elevation
Avoid anti-inflammatories
Compression
Education
L.O.V.E.
Load (progressive movement)
Optimism
Vascularisation (blood flow)
Exercise
This approach encourages active recovery and rehabilitation through movement, which supports long-term healing and strength.

When Is It Still OK to Use Ice?

Ice still has a role in short-term pain management — particularly right after an acute injury or intense exercise session.
✅ Use Ice For:
Immediate pain relief after a sprain or strain
Temporary swelling control within the first few hours
Post-exercise soreness management
⚠️ How to Ice Safely:
Apply for 10–15 minutes at a time
Always place a cloth between skin and ice
Avoid repeated icing sessions throughout the day
Stop if the area becomes numb or discoloured

Should You Still Use Ice on Injuries?

Here’s the bottom line:
Ice can relieve pain, but new research shows that it won’t necessarily speed up recovery. In fact, over-icing may hinder healing by blocking the body’s natural inflammatory response.
Instead, focus on movement, blood flow, and progressive exercise to rebuild tissue and restore function.
So yes, grab the ice pack if you need comfort — but remember, healing comes from movement, not freezing.

Disclaimer – does elite sport agree?

It is worth noting that all of these studies were animal based. Watch a premiership rugby game – after a player comes off with an injury do they still get an ice compress? Yes they do. Do players at Wimbledon still use ice baths immediately after a match? Yes. So although the studies may say one thing, high level sport is still using ice, at least in the inflammatory phase of injury. So in this phase it would seem that the jury is still out, for now. In the later or chronic phases of injury it may be less useful, with PEACE and LOVE more relevant. In the meanwhile…watch this space!

References
Bleakley, C. M., Glasgow, P., & MacAuley, D. C. (2012). Cryotherapy for acute ankle sprains: a randomised controlled study of two different icing protocols. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(4), 283–288.
Tipton, M. J., Collier, N., Massey, H., Corbett, J., & Harper, M. (2015). Cold water immersion: kill or cure? Experimental Physiology, 102(11), 1335–1355.
Takagi, R., Fujita, N., Arakawa, T., et al. (2011). Influence of icing on muscle regeneration after crush injury to skeletal muscles in rats. Journal of Applied Physiology, 110(2), 382–388.
Dubois, B., & Esculier, J.-F. (2019). Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(2), 72–73.
Mirkin, G. (2015). Why Ice Delays Recovery. Retrieved from drmirkin.com