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Athletic Training

Icing after practice

09/25/2006

Question:

my daughter plays hihg school volley ball. the coach has her ice her shoulder after every practice/game. i was told this was incorrect, she should let it cool down naturally, can you give me any further info on this topic.

Answer:

I would agree that a cool down is a good idea; however, for a hitter, icing after playing is not a bad idea either.  I would highly recommend icing a shoulder for any overhead athlete with a shoulder injury or someone who experiences shoulder soreness after repetitive swings.  Many overhead athletes also choose to ice after repetitive use of their shoulder.  The most common example of this would be baseball pitchers. 

If your daughter does not have a shoulder injury or muscle soreness after playing, it probably isn't needed but it also isn't doing any harm.

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Response by:

Jamie Birkelo, MA, ATC Jamie Birkelo, MA, ATC
Assistant Athletic Trainer, Department of Athletics
Instructor
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University