Pain Perception during Repeated Ice-Bath Immersion of the Ankle at Varied Temperatures

Abstract

Context:Ice-bath temperatures range from 1 to 15ºC; the pain response during treatment might be temperature specific.Objective:To determine levels of perceived pain during ice-bath immersion at distinct temperatures.Design:2 (sex) × 3 (temperature) × 9 (treatment time).Setting:Athletic training research laboratory.Participants:32 healthy subjects.Intervention:Ankle immersion in 1, 10, and 15°C ice baths for 20 minutes.Main Outcome Measures:Discomfort measured by the Borg scale of perceived pain at immersion for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 20 minutes.Results:The magnitude of pain felt depended on treatment temperature (F18,522= 11.65,P< .0001). Pain ratings were 43% higher for 1ºC than 10ºC and 70% higher than 15ºC, and ratings at 10ºC were 46% higher than at 15ºC.Conclusions:Pain depends on treatment temperature. Patients might report inconsistent pain ratings with varying temperature.