A common recommendation is to use ice/cold therapy for the first 48 hours after an injury. That means you that you more than likely remember the event that lead to your specific pain, like stepping off the curb wrong, trying to lift something to heavy, a motor vehicle collision and so on. Waking up with pain is not considered an injurious event. The standard 10-15 minutes of a cold compress then an hour of no ice is standard and still seems to be valid with research.
After the initial 48 hours using ice is a concern. Ice is used for pain modulation (decrease in pain) so that hopefully the area can be worked or the processed of healing can be controlled and comfortable. Long term ice use can slow cell metabolism which makes since, that’s why we cool things to keep them fresh longer and multiple chemical processes slow down a drop in temperature. So does healing, so long term cold therapy could prevent healing or show that the underlying cause of pain is not being addressed.
Please keep that in mind when trying home remedies and wondering if it’s time to seek professional care. If you’re not feeling substantially better after 48 hours of an injury or gradual onset of pain it could be time to seek care.