Should I use ice or should I use heat? This is a common question that you may ask yourself after an injury or when you feel pain. Is one better than the other? Does it matter if you use ice or if you use heat? The answer is yes , it does matter.
Ice, ice baby
Ice is primarily used the first 24 to 48 hours after a new (acute) injury or flareup of an old injury. The main purpose of ice is to reduce inflammation and decrease pain.
Inflammation is the body’s protective response to an injured area. You actually want inflammation to happen because it promotes the healing process by cleaning up damaged tissue. But this response is often overdone. Inflammatory cells will often go outside of the injured area into the healthy tissue as well. This is what we want to control with ice. Because inflammation and pain go hand in hand, controlling the amount of inflammation can be beneficial in decreasing your overall pain response.
The Dos and Don’ts
Typically when you use ice, ice the area for 15 to 20 minutes every full hour. This means 15 to 20 minutes on and an hour off. You can do this multiple times a day for the first 24 to 48 hours following an injury or flare-up.
You never want to put ice directly on your skin. Always have some type of barrier, like a cloth. This will help to avoid frostbite.
If you have neuropathy, or an other condition that makes you less sensitive to cold, proceed with caution. Make sure you use a timer to help prevent icing too long.
The Heat Is On
Heat is generally used on chronic conditions or 24-48 after a new injury (once the acute swelling has subsided). Heat is primarily used for chronic joint stiffness and muscle aches. It relieves stress, relaxes stiff muscles, alleviates physical discomfort, and eases stress. Heat also brings blood to an injured area to promote the healing process. However if the area is inflamed, heat will bring in more inflammation. This is why you generally don’t use heat right after an acute injury.
The Dos and Don’ts
When using a heating pad, just like ice, use a barrier between you and the heat source to prevent a burn. You can leave the heating pad on for 20-30 minutes and do it multiple times throughout the day. Also, if you have neuropathy, or an other condition that makes you less sensitive to heat, proceed with caution. Make sure you use a timer to help prevent burns.
Contrast Therapy
When you use both ice and heat this is called contrast therapy. Contrast therapy is used for subacute conditions. A Subacute condition is past the acute stage, but you may still see or feel some inflammation. Contrast therapy is used to help “pump out” the stagnant inflammation.
I recommend one minute of cold for every three to four minutes of heat. If inflammation is still visible, I recommend starting with ice and ending with ice.
A basic contrast therapy pattern could look like this:
- Begin with 1 minute of ice
- Apply 3 minutes of heat
- Apply 1 minute of ice
- Apply 3 minutes of heat
- Apply 1 minute of ice
- Apply 3 minutes of heat
- Finish with 1 minute of ice
The Nitty Gritty
Both ice and heat have their individual benefits. Knowing when, and how, to use them correctly, can help you to recover from an injury quickly. Both ice and heat can also help you to avoid pain and prevent you from using harmful and addictive medications.