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Heat or Ice, what’s best for pain and injuries?

Heat or Ice, what’s best for pain and injuries?

Written by Alex Phan - Osteopath | 1st July 2024

Have you ever experienced pain or have suffered an injury and were unsure whether to apply heat or ice? Quite often we find ourselves placed in these scenarios and are conflicted with our decisions which could either make our condition better or worse.

Here are some tips and guidelines on when to apply heat or ice for pains and injuries.

Ice application

  • Acute injuries: Ice should be applied during the first 48 hours after an injury and includes but is not limited to injuries such as: sprains, strains, bruises and acute inflammation
  • Swelling and inflammation: Any signs of swelling during or after an injury will warrant the use of ice as this will help with constricting surrounding blood vessels and decreasing blood flow to the area
  • Pain relief: Using ice can also temporarily numb the area and help alleviate pain

The general guidelines for using ice or cold therapy is to apply ice packs or cold packs to the site of injury for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours during the initial phase of injury. It’s important to wrap the ice/cold pack with a towel or cloth as this will prevent ice burn to the skin and prevent further injuries. Additionally, ice or cold application should also be avoided in chronic conditions as this may prevent blood flow to the area of concern and potentially worsen stiffness already seen in chronic conditions.

Heat application

  • Chronic injuries: Heat application has been seen to be more beneficial in the cases of chronic conditions
  • Muscle pain and stiffness: The use of heat helps with muscle relaxation and increasing blood flow to the area. This is seen help relieve stiffness and promote healing
  • Joint pain: Using heat can reduce stiffness and joint associated pain with conditions such as osteoarthritis.

The general guidelines for the use of heat is apply a heat pad/pack, warm towel or warm bath to the site of concern for 15-20 minutes. However, ensure that the heat pack is wrapped with a towel or cloth to prevent burns and avoid prolonged use of heat or when sleeping to again prevent burns.

These are just some guidelines on when to use ice or heat in the case of pain and injuries. If you have a specific condition or injury and are still unsure on what to do, it may be a good idea to come in and see one of the Osteopaths at Canterbury Health Hub. Here we can perform a thorough assessment and provide a tailored treatment and management plan for your condition.