This article explains how to properly ice your injury. It will also explore what you can use to apply cold to your injury. Do not allow ice to sit directly on the skin for long periods of time. Either do an ice massage or use a thin towel between the ice and skin. There are a variety of ways you can apply cold to your injury.
If you have an injury that you plan on icing, keep in mind the following tips. When applying cold to your injury, you may consider using a bag or cup of ice, frozen foods, or icing products made for specific injuries.
Using ice for an injury is pretty common. However, research shows that icing certain injuries can actually slow down the healing process. When it comes to icing, be sure to only do so if the injury is swollen.
Using ice can help reduce swelling so the injury can begin to heal. If you have concerns about how long you should ice a specific injury, or you are not noticing any improvement, be sure to reach out to your doctor. Try to take it easy and allow your body to rest as your injury heals. Dealing with joint pain can cause major disruptions to your day. Sign up and learn how to better take care of your body. Click below and just hit send!
Effect of local cold-pack application on systemic anabolic and inflammatory response to sprint-interval training: a prospective comparative trial. Eur J Appl Physiol. Michigan Medicine. November 04, To ease that pain, is it better to use ice or heat? What is Inflammation? Does heat make inflammation worse? About Applying Heat Heat does have its role. Rules to Remember: If an injury has occurred to any body part within three days, ice is preferred -- 20 minutes on and 30 to 40 minutes off.
Pain to the back, neck and large muscle groups like quads, hamstrings and calves will respond well to heat after three days of injury. Use ice for pain in joints such as knees, elbows and shoulders. Keep It Local Do not apply ice or heat to large areas of the body if only one joint or body part is the focus. Comments October 20, My chiro advised icing and applying ice then heat. Thank you for the great explanation. October 15, You have explained the use of ice and heat, singly and in combination better than a number of sites I read before finding you.
A much appreciated and magnificent job. Thank you heartedly. September 28, Most informative and very helpful. Thank you soo much. June 29, Thanks very much I learn the difference between ice and heat for pain. Reply From: OrthoCarolina. June 29, This was great! I now have a very clear understanding on how to treat my injuries, thank you so much! May 02, I am very thankful that I found this article!
I've had knee replacement surgery and suffered a lot of pain. I was told by therapist that icing was my best friend, but what I didn't know was that 20 minutes on and 30 to 40 minutes off is the best cycle of using ice.
I tried it and it worked much better! Thank you for the knowledge! March 20, Thank you for letting me know in plain language about the icing and the Heat I was always getting confused about the two. March 15, Thank you so much for clearing up the confusion I have had on icing and heat for my back. You explained this so clearly!! December 23, Interesting read, thanks!
August 28, Thank you so much,this is very details,I only use heat method before but now I will try the heat and ice method on my clients that has Arthritis. If you have arthritis, you should work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan to manage your discomfort. Ice and heat can both come in handy for treating an acute injury, but you should use them at different stages. You can use ice initially to reduce swelling and then, once the injury has mostly healed, use heat to soothe any remaining feelings of soreness.
For example, one-third of people who sprain an ankle experience residual symptoms even after the injury has healed. If you have an overuse injury, which is common for athletes, both ice and heat can help you manage the pain and keep the injury from worsening.
In the case of overuse, apply heat to the injury before your physical activity, then use ice on the area after the physical activity. Ice therapy can come in the form of an ice massage, ice baths or coolant sprays, but the most common form is an ice pack. Because people most often use ice to treat acute injuries, an ice pack is typically all you need to get the job done. You can make an ice pack by filling a bag with ice, or you can purchase reusable ice packs from the store. Beyond these basic instructions, you should talk to your doctor about the best icing regimen for your injury.
Some doctors may recommend a plan like 20 minutes on, 30 minutes off, meaning you should ice for 20 minutes, then wait another 30 minutes before icing again. A schedule like this would apply to a recent injury that is still swollen. There are various ways to categorize heat therapy.
Another distinction we can make is between acute and whole-body heat therapy. For example, a heating pad is an example of dry heat for an acute injury, while a sauna is a whole-body dry heat method. A hot bath is an example of whole-body, moist heat therapy. If you wanted to treat an acute area with moist heat, you could use a damp, steaming towel. So, how do you use these various forms of heat therapy? Heat therapy may be the best way to treat your pain, but in some cases, there may be an underlying injury or other cause to address.
Ice has some critical advantages, when used correctly. Like ice, heat has unique advantages, as well as some disadvantages when it comes to treating an injury or pain. If this is the case, you should schedule an appointment with a doctor right away. Depending on what is causing your discomfort, the doctor may recommend physical therapy , surgery or another treatment method. You may also need to take medication to help manage pain.
Our orthopedic doctors are committed to helping you understand your injury or chronic pain and to treating the issue at its source.
Contact us online or give us a call at to make an appointment today! When Ice Is the Answer So, is it better to ice or heat an injury?
Acute injuries: In general, ice is best for acute injuries, which are injuries that affect a specific area on the body. Recent injuries: Another clue that ice is best is if the injury happened relatively recently. Swelling tends to be the most extreme when you first become injured, especially within the first 48 hours. Overuse injuries: Athletes sometimes use ice to treat chronic inflammation in specific areas, such as a joint or muscle, from overuse.
In these cases, you should only apply ice after and never before activity. If you have poor circulation: If you have a medical issue that limits your ability to feel sensations on your skin, such as diabetes, vasculitis or Raynaud disease, you should avoid ice or use it with extreme caution. Before physical activity: If you are about to exercise, you should not use ice. For example, if your calf is hurting and you want to go for a run, you may be tempted to ice to get the swelling down and then hit the trail.
That is a bad idea, because ice will cause the muscle to contract. You could cause further injury by icing and then exercising the muscle. Icing the muscle will cause it to contract even more.
For example, if your neck or back feels tight or stiff, heat is a much better option for relaxing the muscles.
Icing the area will likely do more harm than good.
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