why does the cold compress helps with inflamed muscles, but sleeping under cold AC air can cause muscle strain, inflammation or pain?

Question

why does the cold compress helps with inflamed muscles, but sleeping under cold AC air can cause muscle strain, inflammation or pain?

In: 15

Answer 1

Using ice packs or as you said cold compress on aching muscles helps relieving the pain by slowing down / stopping the “pain message” that the muscle cells are sending to your brain thru neurons by decreasing their “alertness” to the pain (try this yourself , try pinching an area in your body with your finger with a force , then apply an ice pack to the same area for a bit and try pinching the same area with the same force , then try again with a greater force)