Sometime in your life you will have an injury, pull a muscle, tweak your back, or hurt yourself in
some other way. Getting hurt is inevitable, so it is important to know what to do after your
injury. Depending on what a person is used to from their childhood, some tend to lean toward
using heat, and others tend to lean toward using ice. So…which one works better? Are they used
for different things? Can using the wrong one cause more damage? These are some of the
questions people typically ask, so let’s find out more.
Ice-Ice, Baby
Ice is mostly used for injuries that just occurred, or in other words, acute injuries. The main
reason for this is because when someone injures themselves, the body’s safety mechanism is to
immediately send white blood cells and other fluids into the area and cause it to swell and
become red and warm to the touch. When you put ice on the area that has inflammation, it
constricts the blood vessels which helps to calm down aggravated, inflamed tissues and numb
some of the pain. Examples of injuries where ice should be used include pulling a muscle, IT
band syndrome, gout flare-ups, headaches, fresh strains and sprains, tendinitis, and more. If you
don’t have an ice pack at home, some alternatives you can use are a bag of frozen peas or corn or
ice cubes in a baggy. It is recommended to ice for 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off for 48 or more
hours until the swelling and tenderness are gone. In general, use ice for injuries under 6 weeks
old.
Smokin’ Heat
Heat is typically used for stiff and aching muscles, stress, or chronic pain. It is important to use
heat when there is no inflammation because heat dilates the blood vessels which causes more
inflammation and therefore more pain and delayed healing. That’s why it’s important to first use
ice on an injury when it occurs in order to reduce the inflammation. Then, once the inflammation
has gone away, it’s okay to begin using heat. As a general rule of thumb, heat is good for healing
injuries and arthritis that are more than 6 weeks old. Heat helps the healing process by increasing
blood flow circulation to the area which promotes healing, relaxes tight muscles, and relieves
aching joints. Heat can be used for injuries greater than 6 weeks old, arthritis, and stiff muscles.
It can also be used for relaxation! Some ways to use heat other than a heat pack is to include
moist heat such as a shower or bath or an electronic heating pad.
People often get confused on when to use ice vs. when to use heat, and it’s important to know the
difference to prevent further pain! The most important thing to remember is to always use ice for
fresh injuries or for any type of inflammation. NEVER use heat when there is swelling. Here at
Duncan Chiropractic, you can get your own dual heat/ice pack for just $10, so make sure to ask
about it next time you are in! We can also help diagnose and treat your injury using chiropractic
care and other techniques depending on the injury. Schedule a free consultation to determine
how we can help!