Sprained a toe. how long after is using ice appropriate, helpful. past 72 hours?

1-2 weeks: Often after a sprain, ice therapy is most critical within the first 3 days but I often recommend ice especially in the evenings if swelling and pain are still persistent past 72 hours. Sprains depending on severity can take several days to several weeks to completely heal.

Injury response.: With a typical toe sprain, the therapeutic benefit of ice, is about 24-36 hours. Continuation past this time could potentially slow the healing down. This time can vary with the severity of the injury. The body will actually try to heat the tissues up to promote the healing. The trick is balance the body's natural inflammatory response to injury, with the benefit of reducing pain and congestion.