Hello,
I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, and if it's not I'd appreciate being referred to the appropriate one. My issue is, unfortunately self inflicted, although certainly not intentional. I've had knee pain for a while now, and I decided that I would try to use an ice pack. I foolishly placed ice directly in a plastic bag and applied that to my knee without anything between the plastic and my skin. I did this several times over a period of a few days. It seemed fine, as even though my knee would be a bit discolored after removing the ice pack, it would return to normal color within a short period and it felt completely fine. I did, however, notice that my foot and lower leg would turn a bit reddish as well when I was using the ice pack. I didn't think this was a problem, but I now realize it was. After a few days, my foot now has a slight tingling and/or burning sensation at times. It also feels a bit cold sometimes. Also, when I'm sitting, and especially standing, the foot will start to become reddish, although the discoloration is not extreme. When I lie down, the color of the foot returns to normal within a minute. At this point I'm on crutches, so I'm not sure if I could stand on the foot for any length of time.
I do believe that this somehow damaged the blood vessels in my foot. I don't understand how applying an ice pack to my knee could do this, but it's pretty clear that it did. I would like to know a few things:
1. What is this condition called? What is actually wrong here?
2. What should I do to make sure it doesn't get any worse? I stopped using the ice pack as soon as I suspected the damage.
3. Is this reversible? Assuming that I don't use the ice pack, or do anything else that would harm the vessels further, will it heal, and how long will it take?
I suppose the good news is that the symptoms are rather minor. But I am afraid that when I start walking again, this could pose a problem. It is quite annoying as well. Thanks.