How long should ice be applied for closed soft tissue injuries?
Disease description:
Yesterday, my younger brother accidentally sustained a soft tissue injury to his arm while playing basketball on the playground. I’m not sure how long he should apply ice—how long should ice be applied for a closed soft tissue injury?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lin Yunfei
For closed soft tissue injuries, ice application should last approximately 15–20 minutes. Such injuries are typically caused by trauma and often result in local swelling and pain. Ice application can help reduce localized edema to some extent and generally does not cause further harm to the body. However, prolonged icing may damage the local skin and soft tissues; therefore, appropriate attention should be given to the duration of ice application.
