A shoulder ice pack is a fantastic way to treat a current or recurring injury. These are specially designed to contour to your shoulder’s shape the way that most other remedies won’t. Shoulder ice packs can help relieve pain and swelling, and set you on the path to recovery much faster than you would have been able otherwise. Getting one that works perfectly for you is the real key, as there are a variety of different types that you can choose from. Some are large enough to cover your shoulder and even arm to provide relief, and then other packs are intended to focus on specific points of your shoulder muscles.
To understand why a shoulder ice pack is such a great way to treat muscle injuries, you’ll have to understand why ice is helpful to an injury. Typically the human body responds to an injury by going into defense mode, and that usually means causing the surrounding area to swell. This can be extremely painful, and will make muscle movement more difficult. Ice prevents this by cooling the area and slowing down your body’s metabolism. This allows you to avoid swelling, and start the healing process more quickly. Meaning, an injury is resolved without the need for painful swelling, plus the ice will numb your pain receptors as an added comfort.
Typically there are three types of shoulder ice packs, your simple shoulder covering bag, packs that cover the shoulder and most of your arm, or packs that can apply hot or cool temperatures. The shoulder and arm covering models don’t differ much in terms of operation or effectiveness. But usually the shoulder packs are for treating a commonly recurring shoulder injury. Whereas the shoulder and arm combination is best when used by an athlete for reducing swelling after repetitive motion. Typically a pitcher in baseball will use a pack like that, so that the entire arm and shoulder area can be treated.
The hot and cool packs can be handy for treating a wider variety of injury types, and speeding up your recovery process. Some recurring injuries are better treated by using heat, opposed to just ice. Where as new muscle strain injuries require cool temperatures. These can be frozen to use just like your standard shoulder ice pack, or then can be used the same way you’d use a heating pad. Only with the added convenience of being perfectly molded to fit the shoulder area comfortably.
Usually a basic shoulder ice pack that is only intended for the shoulder area, will cost you in the area of $25-40. They can be purchased from a local department store, or even online from websites like PainReliever.com. A shoulder and arm pack is more expensive because they cover a wider area. Typically you can expect to spend around $50-100 for a good model. These can be purchased at sporting good stores, but may be hard to find at the average department store. Websites like Amazon.com can also be a good place to find them at a decent price.