Over the years it has been a hotly (no pun intended) debated topic on when to use ICE or HEAT as a form of treatment.
Most of us would’ve heard of the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol following an acute(sudden in onset) or sporting injury, such as from an ankle sprain. First introduced in 1978 by Dr Gabe Mirkin, it has been firmly entrenched in public consciousness for over four decades.
But did you know that Dr Mirkin took back his original position in 2015? He has since gone on the record stating ‘ice therapy is an effective pain medicine… but it does delay healing, instead of helping,’ (Mirkin, 2019).
His comments suggest that ice can be an effective tool for pain relief, but a poor option when it comes to healing, where the initial inflammation stage of an injury may be helpful to healing.
It is important to note, however, depending on the amount of swelling and pain present, the pros of using ice can outweigh its’ cons. For instance, excessive swelling and pain may require ice to reduce the pain and inflammation to an acceptable level.
Therefore, ice may still be an option depending on the individual patients’ presentation. Please consult a health professional if you have any individual circumstances that require personalised advice.
So, what about heat?
With acute conditions, heat should not be used as whilst the body’s natural inflammatory processes can be good for healing, using heat in acute injuries can increase this excessively.
According to the current evidence body, heat is best used for chronic conditions to relax muscles and promote blood flow in the absence of inflammation. For instance, tight or sore and spasming muscles can be relaxed very well by heat therapy. However, depending on certain conditions, chronic inflammatory conditions may benefit from cold therapies in relieving that lasting inflammation.
Some takeaways are:
- In general: Ice may not be necessary in all cases when it comes to acute injuries – it depends on the severity of the injury, pain levels and swelling. It may also be beneficial in those with chronic inflammation. Please consult a medical professional for further advice.
- Heat is better used for muscle conditions such as spasms / tightness to help them relax. You do not want to use heat after an acute injury, because this may cause extra blood flow leading to extra swelling in the affected limb.
