Icing

So my physio has advised me to "ice" my knee for 30mins each day. I have apparently a small tear to the fascia of my ITB. I have no swelling or oedema.

So, out of interest

1)what is the physiological benefit sure it goes cold but what are we trying to do - shrink tissue, pulsate blood supply.....

2) After I finish and its all cold what do I do, let it warm up in a fixed position, move around and stretch the cold tissues gently/naturally, stretch them vigorously and artificially

I know these are all questions for the Physio but it'll be a few days before I get back there and these Q's never occurred to me at the time, but I know the forum's collective knowledge will have the answers

thanks

Ice can be applied in a number of ways.
It should never be applied directly to the skin but in a wet tea towel to prevent ice burns.
Apply the ice for about 15 minutes every 2 hours. This will vary depending on the size of the area and depth of the tissue. This can be reduced gradually over the next 24 hours.
If you have a bad circulation condition in a specific area then you should not apply ice to that area, or if you have a cold allergy.

This can ease the pain, reduce swelling, reduce bleeding (initially) and encourage blood flow (later).