Ice Or Heat: What’s Your Choice Of Treatment?
Ever had any doubts regarding application of ice or heat in case of acute pain?
We hear this question very often as to how to choose ice vs heat as a choice of treatment.
Well, remember ice is for fresh injuries & heat is for stiff, chronic aching muscles.
- Acute injuries cause the soft tissues to inflame, turn red, hot & swollen. Icing is mostly a mild, drugless way of dulling the pain & inflammation. So use it as first aid for ankle sprain, no cut & bruise injury.
- On the other hand, chronic pains usually involve a lot of tension in the muscles & soft tissues. Comfortable bearable heat will likely soothe these tensed muscles. Heat is often recommended for arthritic pain. Always ask your doctor/ physiotherapist for advice that is specifically useful for you!
Which is better – heat or ice therapy?
“Ice is a great choice for the first 72 hours after an injury because it helps reduce swelling, which causes pain. Heat, on the other hand, helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles. However, neither option should be used for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.” says Dr Priyanka, clinical lead physiotherapist at ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab.
Does ice help swelling after 3 days? How Many Days Should You Ice an Injury?
Ice should be applied to reduce swelling during the first two to three days following an acute injury. Heat can then be used to promote blood flow and aid the body’s natural healing process. Applying heat too soon could exacerbate edema by boosting blood flow to the wound.
More importantly remember-WHAT ICE & HEAT ARE NOT FOR
Both ice & heat are pointless when not needed. Heat can make acute inflammation significantly worse & ice can aggravate symptoms of tightness & stiffness. In fact it can also make any pain worse when its unwanted. So, if you add heat to a fresh injury, watch out: its going to get worse. Instead apply ice & CHILL !
Have Pain that keeps coming back?
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