Heat and cold therapy are both helpful for us after injuries but they effect the region in different ways so it is important to understand what the condition is, what I want to achieve and from there I can choose which one is best for me.
Ice is often used within the first 72 hours of a new or re-aggravated injury. Within the first 3 days after an injury, our bodies generate a large amount of inflammation and swelling around the injury, along with pain. Ice can assist in reducing the pain (natural pain killers) and decreasing blood flow to the injured area, reducing the swelling. But you cant continuously use otherwise you can create an ice burn – so use it only for 10 minutes a time. 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off and then 10 minutes on again. This can be done every 1-2 hours.
With heat, our muscles relax more by increasing blood flow to the area, thus reducing pain. We don’t use heat on new or aggravated injuries as this will cause more swelling and pain in the area. You’ll have to monitor how long you use the heat for because this can also result in a heat burn.
Conditions Recommended for Ice:
- Osteoarthritis
- Recent injuries
- Gout
- Muscular strains
- Irritation to tendons following activity
- Recent joint injuries
- Bursitis (shoulder, hip, etc.)
Conditions Recommended for Heat:
- Tightness in Muscles
- Tendinopathy
- Warming up tight muscles or tissues
- Relieving muscle spasms
If you need help with deciding which would be best to manage your injury, contact our physiotherapists, who can recommend and guide you through the appropriate treatment to manage your conditions.
