Should You Use Ice or Heat?

Ice causes the blood vessels to constrict reducing the amount of blood to the area. This reduction in blood flow reduces inflammation to the affected tissue. Ice will also numb the tissue reducing pain. The reduced temperature will slow the nerves that carry pain signals to the brain, which will decrease muscle spasms. Heat does the opposite of ice. It will cause the blood vessels in the area to open allowing for more blood to come in. This increase in blood will bring more nutrients and other materials to help heal the injury. Heat will also help decrease muscle spasms around the injured area because the increase in temperature allows the muscles to soften.

Now that we know what they do, what do we use? A general rule of thumb is in the first 24-48 hours use ice to help reduce pain and inflammation. Inflammation is not a bad thing but too much of it can slow down healing and increase pain. After the first 48 hours you can move to contrast, switching back and forth from ice and heat. This will cause a pumping effect of the blood allowing for nutrients to flow in and waste products to flow out. After this stage of healing, heat can be used exclusively to aid in the recovery process, by decreasing pain and stiffness.

These are basic guidelines when it comes to ice and heat but every injury and person is different. If you are not sure what you should use please reach out to us at 914-346-5200 or schedule an appointment here !