When the flannel warms up replace it with a cold one. Place the injured area in a bucket containing water with a few ice cubes. This is useful for foot and hand injuries. Place the injured area under cold running water. This is useful for minor injuries or when other options are not available.
Ice can burn.
To avoid this, protect your skin with a layer of insulation before applying ice therapy. Use a covering of oil, a paper towel or a damp cloth. Check your skin after three minutes. If your skin has become white, stop the ice therapy and use cold therapy instead. Both ice and cold therapy may give some initial discomfort.