The infamous ice massage tech'

[Martin F]

Hi everyone.

I was reminded of an old technique last night by Texas Gal. Overnight I've been thinking about this and would like to ask anyone out there to help if possible?

If you would be good enough to go through this material from my memory and perhaps someone has heard of it? And possibly we could make head and tail of the theory behind it.

Brief History:

When I first completed basic massage boot camp, I came in contact with a very interesting tech involving ice and a very warm climate.

I lived on the Gold Coast of Australia for 18 odd years and during summer when the air is hot and balmy, Stuart Jarvie (the right hand of the Devil) would set up his massage chair under a tent at the Sunday markets.

It was a fantastic vibe all around with breezie Sunday morning people who would enjoy fresh fruit, music and trinkets. I came every Sunday morning for my Ice Massage and a big plate of fresh Mango and cream. MMMMMM

There was always a cue for the Ice Massage, mostly construction workers and sporties. Lots and lots of sports people in OZ.

Nobody seemed to mind at all to be ice massaged in front of many curious passers by. No problem at all. Stuart had such a sense of humor and he was always crackin' everyone up.

The technique involves icing the muscles directly and then working all that new blood through the muscle by using a series of resistance exercises.

For example, when the delt, pec' and sacp' are iced together (max 6 min each muscle and continually rotating) the body percieves itself to be in danger of frostbite and pumps new blood there.

I remember holding my arm out at 90 degrees and pushing forward, only using the iced muscle as Stuart would resist my forward motion.

It was hard core but it felt so great after and my aching work muscles were feeling very relaxed, my skin was zinging. As you can imagine, this would only work in the tropics but I'd love to learn more if anyone has exp' or thoughts?

Max

 

[mango1cecrm]

Old Dog,
We learned the icing technique but with vigorous pettrisage following rather than AIS/resistance. Some of my classmates hated receiving this, and others loved it. I loved it--the contrast felt both invigorating and soothing. We filled little dixie cups with water the night before and froze them, so they are essentially single use and easy to grasp.

 

[Destrucity]

Old Dog,
We learned the icing technique but with vigorous pettrisage following rather than AIS/resistance. Some of my classmates hated receiving this, and others loved it. I loved it--the contrast felt both invigorating and soothing. We filled little dixie cups with water the night before and froze them, so they are essentially single use and easy to grasp.

That is what we did. I was one who hated it, but we were NOT in the tropics!! I am a winter wimp as it is! :O

 

[GCharwood]

Cryotherapy

That is what we did. I was one who hated it, but we were NOT in the tropics!! I am a winter wimp as it is! :O

LOL Me too! I lived in upstate NY when in school, and it was winter when we practiced that technique. BRRRRRRR....
I could however see now how it would be a wonderful treatment in the summer here in SC... for the right people of course.
Our technique was the same as Ella's, We would freeze water in paper cups with a popsicle stick in the water for a handle. When we used the ice on the skin, we would use friction and petrisage to move the blood. I hated the cold at first, and the dripping water was not fun either, but after the area went numb, the treatment was great.

I searched through my school books and this is what I found:

"Water frozen in a paper cup with a stick in it makes an effective massage tool, especially when the practitioner is using ice as a counterstimulant to assist in lengthening and stretching proceedures."

"Effects of cold and ice:

Increased Stimulation,
decreased circulation- primary effect; increased circulation-secondary effect (There is the Vasoconstriction Vasodilation theory I was looking for!)
Decreased Inflammation
Decreased Pain
Decreased Respiration
Decreased Digestive Process
Increased Muscle Tone
Increased Tissue Stiffness
Increased WBC Production
Increased RBC Production

ICE
Along with above,
Decreased Muscle Spasm."

There are a bunch of contraindications and precautions of course, but cryotherapy can be a very effective tool for those who are willing to try it.

Maybe I should do something like that at the weekley open air market..... Thanks for reminding me of this treatment Old Dog. I really enjoy reading your posts! You have made some great contributions to this site, Thank you!

 

[Yellow Dango]

I filled up some cups a few days ago and they are in the freezer right now for SELF treatment I haven't ice'd in a long time! I did it a couple days a go and it was wonderful. I am trying to get back into the habbit of using more ice on my self. It's so easy to ICE your own forearms.

We also learned it in school and I remember how we were all so amazed at what ice can do.

 

[nirvanafan12]

Wondering

Thanks everyone, that was great to know others have tried also.

I had a brainstorm last night that was probably mad, but I thought perhaps the ice tech with that yoga style in really hot rooms???? Bickram maybe????

Maybe the two of them together would comp each other quite well?

I must admit I do use the style sometimes, rarely when a sportsperson or dancer has a particularly stressed muscle and the show must go on, situation. Like a last resort. During, they sort of look at me to say, "Are you out of your...? But it does work. They hate me, then they love me again. So, it's, "COOL".

 

[JO-JO37]

Oh, man. Ice massage after hot yoga sounds heavenly.

Here's a more environmentally friendly way to do the ice massage (instead of the disposable cups). I bought a set of 2 of these and wound up giving them to a friend who does more sports massage so I never got to try them. Next time I'm down at Banner Therapy I will get another for me.

http://www.bannertherapy.com/ProductInfo.aspx?cryocup-single-cryocup&number=91-900

Looks like it would maybe keep your fingers a little warmer than the disposable cups too.

Emily

 

[Taylor]

I'm another one who liked ice massage in school. I've used it a few times but not for awhile. I keep 2 water bottles (one small, one regular) full and in the freezer. When my back is hurting (specially the rhomboid area) I just stick the bigger bottle between me and the couch and roll it around while watching TV. The little one can be used on forearms or wherever. Cheap way to ice yourself.

 

[Captain Claudius]

HMMMM

HMMMM I wonder if we could discover a great tech together for an ice massage after a Bickrams yoga/sauna session, would it be possible to market? I remember a few of the points and exercises...

Or will people feel the need to tar and feather us for suggesting such a diabolical, torturous plan? I personally think it would be great after a hot steamy type of session such as Bickrams... Would the people accept it? Are they crazy enough already?

When Stuart showed me by doing those years ago, I remember him telling me that the ice massage increased strength in the muscle??? Bare in mind, Stuart was the Hans Christian Anderson of the East Coast and could spin a story...

He also said the ice temporarily removed muscle memory and by doing the exercises it was possible to retrain the muscle into a state of better health????

Hmmmm?

 

[jimbeam958]

Heat and cold used one after the other, is one of the cornerstones of LaStone Therapy Also much easier to do with marble stones out of the freezer, no dripping Oh my goodness some people HATE it and some people LOVE it, but it gets the results. There is so much more that can be done with stones than some fluffy hot stone spa treatment.

The LaStone Deep Tissue course is pretty much all iced stones. No dripping to clean up There are lots of specialised cold stones (the type of stone used is usually carved, so they do lots of fancy shapes) My favourite isn't for massaging with, it's a marble neck stone for under the neck, by the time you take it out, the neck has loosened up a LOT, I use it quite often even when I'm not using any other stones.

Most of it goes back to Kneip's hydrotherapy work. One of his techniques was go to bed with frozen soaked woollen socks for achey feet, could probably do something like that for icing hands with woollen mittens in a treatment (or in front of the TV for self care).

 

[Grannyjill]

OY!

G'day, Melb. Good to see an Australian on here.

For those who don't know, New Zealand and Oz have a wonderful neighbouring relationship. We poke a stick at each other and take a swing once in a while but nothing ever serious and at the end of the day... we're mates.

So anyway, those stones sound a whole lot better than Stuart's frozen water running down the neck and back. That man was amazing and it was amazing that he wasn't locked up for abuse with a lethal hunk of ice. He was cruel with those things but we kept on coming back every Sunday. And like I said I always felt really alive and well afterwards. And those aching muscles were really relieved too.

It would be a great tech if it could be done more comfortably. Like no more ice cold water down the back.

I might look into some of those rocks, Melb. I don't know where to look for them here though? Any ideas?

 

[Terminator]

There are plenty of stone massage supplies on massagewarehouse.com, as well as ebay, where you can buy cold stones, marble stones or
aquamarine stone sets ( see http://www.newlifesystems.com)

Hope that helps you out

Just found this site as well, though they want a high price for what they call a "body set" 9 pieces for $350.00.

http://www.massagestones.com.au/cold-stones.809.0.html

Ebay.ca
24 MARBLE STONE SPA MASSAGE STONE SET GOES W/ HOT ROCK Item number: 140194529079
currently $95.00 with $54.00 for shipping coming out of
Hong Kong

 

[Connie]

Beware of some of the sellers on Ebay, sometimes the stones in the picture look no where near what the stones you actually get look like. I bought a "cold" stone set once and it was crappy, extremely light (non-dense) ragged rocks.

I put them out in my front yard amogst my flowers.

I have the ones from http://www.stonetempleinstitute.com and am very pleased with them. I've also bought them from somewhere else and was happy but the name is escaping me right now. I'll post back later if I can think of it.

Angie

 

[xenic]

appreciated

Thanx, Angie

Do you do this technique also with cold stones. Have you ever tried it with ice? I wonder how they compare?

I'm thinking sports pro's or real sports buffs at least MIGHT be interested in this treatment?

I was only limiting my thoughts to hot enviro's like Bikrams yoga, but this may also be an option?

 

[Dead Parrot Society]

I use the cold stones for spot treatments for injuries. The stones are much easier to use than ice and there is no drippy mess, yet they are just as effective. And as Melb mentioned above you can also combine them with hot stones and do contrast.

Angie

 

[Prabhupadanuga]

OY!

I might look into some of those rocks, Melb. I don't know where to look for them here though? Any ideas?

I got some of mine from http://www.lapolarstones.com Marble is the best one to put in the freezer. Some cheaper sets are made out of sardonyx, but that can crack in the freezer, marble doesn't. The rest of my stones I got from http://www.amlstonesource.com but that web site is down at the moment?

http://www.stone-forest.co.uk have marble sets too but I think they are even more expensive than getting them from US! LaPolar at least let you buy a couple of stones (the neck stone I mentioned before is a LaPolar neck pillow stone)