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The age old trick of placing an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas on a bruised body part is something most everyone has done at some point in life. In medical terms it’s what is known as a form of cold compression.
The reason why we do this is that when an ice cold object is pressed on the affected area it works to greatly reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. Our bodies heal and recover faster and your pain and discomfort is alleviated.
Any cold object can be used, but the most common things people reach for is frozen gel packs, bags of veggies, and ice cubes is a bag. When you don’t have any gel packs or veggies on hand the go to method is almost always ice cubes.
If you’ve ever used the ice in a plastic bag method, then you know how much of a pain and messy it can be. The cubes are awkward and slide all around as they melt so it’s hard to keep them on the bruised area.
Young children usually complain about them too, because pressing slippery, freezing cold blocks of ice on bumps and bruises can be painful and it quickly gets annoying.
There is a much better alternative that you can and should use for a cold compress, and kids of all ages will love it. All you need to do is stick a bag of marshmallows in the freezer for a few minutes and when they’re cold enough press them on whatever hurts.
Marshmallows are ideal for several reasons, one being that they’re able to quickly absorb cold. All it takes is a couple of minutes in the freezer and you’re good to go.
Another reason is that they are much softer than hard blocks of ice and can be easily squished onto and molded around awkward body parts like wrists, ankles, and elbows. A bag of them can even be used as a sort of cushioned support when weight is pressed down on it.
Whereas ice cubes will usually just slip all around and not stay in one place, the marshmallows won’t. What it comes down to is that tossing a bag of soft marshmallows in the freezer is an ideal alternative to using ice cubes and packs on a bruised area.
It’s a quick, low cost, re-usable, kid friendly, and when you’re done using them you have a tasty snack on hand to eat!
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