Should I apply Ice or Heat?

Ice

Applying ice to your painful area for a time period of 48 to 72 hours is good way to control inflammation. The inflammation causes pain and when left unattended can contribute to a more serious chronic problem.

There are a number of ways to apply ice to your-self, suggested by doctors and physical therapists for example is this method from the American Physical Therapy Association: fill a plastic bag with crushed ice, place a towel around the area in pain, and put the homemade ice bag on the towel. Ice for 15 to 20 minutes, take a 40 minute break, and then repeat as necessary. (You should never apply ice directly to your skin.)

Heat

Applying heat to an injury is not the way to go, in fact, most doctors advise against it. Heat tends to make inflammation worse. Although, there are some exceptions, however, and heat does provide pain relief for some situations.

Applying heat to your injury after 2 or 3 days would be best in the case of heat application. The heat may help relax muscle spasms. Heat should be applied pretty much the same way ice is -- 15 to 20 minutes at a time, with a 40-minute break between treatments.

There are heat wraps on the market that do a good job of providing relief for painfully tense muscles. You can also alternate between heat and ice (after the initial 2 to 3 days) to get the benefits of each.

Ice and heat pads are the most commonly used treatments for sore muscles and swollen joints. The question is which one should I use, ice or heat? And how long should the ice or heat treatments last?

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