Ice Foot Bath question
 

Just a question that's been on my mind since joining these forums.

I notice a lot of you use a method of pain relief of placing feet in icy cold water. It makes sense that cold will numb the pain, I understand that part. What I don't quite get is how you can stand the cold itself?

Where I live it's a tropical climate, so my feet are not supposed to feel cold. Yet, even in the middle of summer this year I often felt as though my feet were going to snap from frostbite any moment. I wrap them in blankets and it does nothing. The only relief from the cold is to wrap them in a wheat pillow, the type you heat up in the microwave. Even with that, it's not 100%. And, the rest of my body can be sweating in the heat. It's total shinanigans!!

During those times (which is almost nightly), I cannot imagine dunking my feet in cold water. I couldn't bare the though, never mind to try it.

Am I the only one? Is it mind over matter and once I dunk them in the cold water things will improve, beyond what my instinct to warm them is telling me?

Right now it's the middle of the day, I'm sitting at my computer with my feet curled up in my lap, covered in a throw blanky. Yet the rest of me is hot, it's a humid day here.

Some people cannot stand cold. There is another form of neuropathy called RSD or CRPS... these patients prefer warmth on their painful areas.

If you have not been tested for MGUS or cryoglobulinemia I'd get that done. Patients with peptides in the blood called cryoglobulins get cold painful extremities. These peptides solidify in cold temperatures, and cause pain and poor circulation. They dissolve again in warmth. (like jello).

Basically you should do what feels best.

I go from burning pain to ice cold feet, they both react better to a warm foot soak.

I was the same as you this summer. My legs felt good in the 40 deg heat of the day while the rest of me melted. It's now getting cold down my way living only an hour from the snow fields.
I'm not looking forward to winter this year

I also suffer from cold feet and legs. I have never placed my feet in ice water. I much prefer to keep them as warm as possible, and like you Aussie Debbie, use a microwavable heat pad when necessary.

I have never put my feet in ice water either. I use Biofreeze or Salonpas to cool off burning feelings.

I don't use hot water either... just warm. And rarely a heating pad, because my chiropractor explained how heat will inflame nerve signals (speed them up). So it is lukewarm water for me.

I do put an icepack of cold gel on my neck or back or knees when they flare up. But it is not like ice cubes, just cold for about 20minutes. This seems to quell inflammation for me.

No ice foot bath for me. :Noooo:

I don't think a lot of folks use ice bath here, or I have not seen it. I certainly never did until recently, now it is my life line. I am not sure why its supposed to be so bad when spraying biofreeze, and product with alcohol, and spraying water in front of a fan seems just as bad if not worse.

My feet skin was looking horrid from all the spray water and products in front of a fan. Now that I am putting them in cold water (not ice) and using a bag to protect my skin from the water my skin is starting to heal and look better.

It is certainly not what I want to be doing but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I never use Biofreeze on my feet either. Tried it once and it drove me up a wall. Calves, back, etc. are fine to use it on. It is a cold therapy to begin with.

I have two rectangular dishpans--I fill one with warm water and the other with cool water. I'll soak in warm water for a couple of minutes and then in cool water for a half a minute, repeat that a couple times, and it gives me some temporary relief. Experiment and do what gives you some relief. Hot, warm, cool, cold, icy. Wet, dry.

One PT told me to rub my feet vigorously with a terry wash cloth--I don't do that very often, but perhaps I should. Let my nerves know that they're needed and they shouldn't be abandoning me. :)

With moderation, though. Stacy points out some issues that can happen, and there have been reports in the medical literature of people getting frostbite because they're seeking relief with icing. Sigh.