The Cold Plunge Craze: Is Ice Therapy Actually Helping Your Nerve Pain?

Cryotherapy and cold plunges are taking Edmond and Norman by storm as a cure-all for chronic pain. But before you step into an ice bath for your aching feet, beware: while ice helps acute swelling, applying extreme cold to nerve pain can actually starve your nerves and cause severe, lasting damage.

Keep reading to learn why taking the plunge might be making your foot pain worse, courtesy of Edmond Norman Foot & Ankle.

The Biomechanics of Ice: Vasoconstriction and Your Nerves

To understand why cold plunges can be detrimental to neurological health, we must look at the biomechanics of how your body reacts to freezing temperatures.

• When you step into a cold plunge, your body’s immediate survival response is vasoconstriction. 
• The blood vessels in your extremities rapidly constrict (narrow) to push warm blood back toward your vital organs. This reduces the blood flow to your feet and toes.
• For a swollen, inflamed muscle, this temporary restriction of blood flow helps flush out inflammatory cytokines. 

However, nerves operate on an entirely different physiological requirement.

• Your nerves are fed by tiny, highly sensitive blood vessels called the vasa nervorum.
• Nerves require a constant, robust supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to function and heal.
• When you force those already-delicate blood vessels to constrict through extreme cold, you are actively starving the nerve.

When the “Cure” Causes Ischemia

Many patients who visit Edmond Norman Foot & Ankle are suffering from localized nerve entrapments, such as:

• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: The compression of the posterior tibial nerve as it runs along the inside of the ankle.
• Morton’s Neuroma: The thickening and pinching of the tissue around the nerves leading to the toes.
• Peripheral Neuropathy: Progressive nerve damage associated with diabetes or vascular issues.

When a nerve is physically entrapped or compressed by surrounding ligaments or bone, its blood supply is already severely compromised. By applying an ice bath or cryotherapy to an entrapped nerve, you trigger a state of ischemia (a severe lack of blood flow).

Starving a compressed nerve of its remaining blood supply can cause the nerve fibers to degrade faster, turning a temporary burning or tingling sensation into permanent numbness and irreversible nerve damage.

Masking the Problem

The most insidious part of the cold plunge trend is that it often feels like it is working.

• Extreme cold naturally numbs the skin and dulls pain receptors. If you have a pinched nerve in your foot, an ice bath will make it stop hurting for a short window. 
• Unfortunately, numbing a mechanical compression does not fix the compression; it just masks the alarm system.
• When you numb an entrapped nerve and then go about your day walking, running, or working, you can cause micro-trauma to the nerve without even realizing it.

Untangling Complex Pain: The Specialist Approach

Foot pain is rarely as simple as generic “inflammation.”

Do not try to freeze away a mechanical nerve problem. If you are experiencing shooting pain, burning, tingling, or numbness in your feet, consult our contact information and get in touch. We’ll give you comprehensive options for healing…and clear answers, too.

Bill Buksh, DPM, works alongside his expert medical staff at Edmond Norman Foot & Ankle to offer superior podiatric care to anyone in need. Pairing thorough, comprehensive remedies for common podiatric conditions with unique specialty treatments for nerve pain, he and his team would be delighted to treat your feet. Contact us to schedule your appointment today.