How to Alternate Ice and Heat for Sore Muscles
- Icing an Injury. Immediately after injury, muscle soreness occurs as tissues are overstretched or torn. Bleeding and swelling often occur inside and around your muscle.
- Heat Application. Heat application increases blood flow to the injured area. ...
- Contrast Baths. Contrast baths may decrease pain and swelling in your sore muscles. ...
Full Answer
When to use heat vs Ice?
Ice and heat therapy can both be effective treatment options for muscle aches and pains. Generally, ice is better for acute or newer injuries, while heat is better for chronic or long-term pain. If your symptoms don’t improve with ice or heat therapy after a certain amount of time, discontinue use and talk to your healthcare provider.
How do you alternate ice and heat?
Precautions
- Never apply ice or heat packs directly to the skin. ...
- Never use a heating pad for an open or bleeding wound.
- Be careful about overheating, or else skin burns can occur
- Keep the temperature of a heating pack low or medium
- Ice application should be made within the required time limit as ice tenses your muscles worsening the pain
Is ice or heat better to treat an injury?
The only difference between using ice and heat is that 1 is better for you at a specific time in your healing cycle. Ice is used first, right when you get your injury, to decrease pain / swelling and inflammation. Heat comes later, to increase blood flow circulation and stimulate the body's healing response.
Should I use ice or heat?
“Ice is a great choice for the first 72 hours after an injury because it helps reduce swelling, which causes pain. Heat, on the other hand, helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles. However, neither option should be used for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.” When to use ice. Ice helps minimize swelling.
Should heat or ice be applied first?
But which to use? Rule of thumb for most injuries: Ice first, heat later. But avoid using them in tandem except as directed by a health care provider, Jake said. Most injuries cause your body to react with inflammation and swelling.
Can I alternate between ice and heat?
Ice may continue to be useful in treatment as long as there is pain, swelling, inflammation, or spasm. There is no need to switch to heat after 48 hours or alternate between ice and heat.
Why do you alternate between ice and heat?
Alternating cold and heat Removing the cold causes vasodilation, as the veins expand to overcompensate. As the blood vessels expand, circulation improves, and the incoming flow of blood brings nutrients to help the injured tissues heal. Alternating heat and cold can be useful for: osteoarthritis.
How do you alternate ice and heat for back pain?
Use cold first and then apply heat for acute back pain. Lowering the body temperature will help constrict the blood vessels, reduce swelling, decrease inflammation, and cause a numbing effect. Once the inflammation has subsided, use heat therapy.
How long after ice can I apply heat?
Ice & Heat Together As a more advanced treatment, use ice AND heat. To achieve therapeutic results, you must do this in a very specific way. The key is to ice for 20 minutes, causing the vessels to narrow, and then heat for 15 minutes, causing the vessels to dilate.
Does heat make inflammation worse?
Heat can make inflammation significantly worse. Ice can aggravate symptoms of tightness and stiffness; it can also just make any pain worse when it's unwanted. Both ice and heat are pointless or worse when unwanted: icing when you're already shivering, or heating when you're already sweating.
How do you do heat therapy at home?
A wet dishcloth Place a wet dishcloth in a freezer bag and heat it in a microwave. First, make sure that the bag is microwave safe. Wrap the hot pack in a towel and place it on the affected area for 15–20 minutes at a time.
How do you do a hot and cold shower?
Start with a hot phase and turn the temperature up as hot as is tolerable you for two to three minutes. Then, turn the temperature down very cold for 15 seconds. Repeat the cycle three or four times and make sure to always end on cold.
How many days should you ice an injury?
Ice is a tried-and-true tool for reducing pain and swelling. Apply an ice pack (covered with a light, absorbent towel to help prevent frostbite) for 15-20 minutes every two to three hours during the first 24 to 48 hours after your injury.
How long should you lay on a heating pad for back pain?
Though there are no specific rules about the length of time to use a heating pad, it should stay on for about 10-30 minutes to be effective. If on for too short a time, the muscle or joint may not have an opportunity to warm up and experience pain-relieving benefits.
Can heat make back pain worse?
If you have truly pulled or strained your lower back muscles, applying heat will cause inflammation. Heating inflamed tissues will make your pain worse and certainly won't help things get better any time soon. Another scenario when heat therapy is not a good idea is if you are already sweating.
What is the fastest way to relieve back pain?
Exercise has been found to be one of the most effective ways to relieve back pain quickly. Try swimming, walking, or yoga.
How Does Heat Therapy Work?
When placing a heated object on the skin, this starts a process called vasodialation, which enlarges the blood vessels and relaxes the muscles. Hea...
How Does Cold Therapy Work?
By contrast, cold therapy works through vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels. When this occurs, it flexes the muscles and reduces...
Alternating Hot and Cold Therapies
In some cases, choosing either heat or ice for back pain may not provide enough relief. It can be helpful to use heat and ice together. By rotating...
How does the hot and cold therapy system work?
Contrast therapy uses a perfectly balanced mix of ice and heat for treating soreness and pains. But if we talk about the overall process, cold and hot treatments work differently. They work on separate mechanisms and have different effects. Let’s have a quick overview of their work!
Contrast therapy timing
Are you interested in contrast therapy? The first thing you need to know is that it should be done carefully, considering the time durations. You can pick the delivery methods as per your preference. But don’t forget to keep a clock or stopwatch with you to keep an eye on the time.
Alternating heat and ice for a sprained ankle
Alternating heat and ice for sprained ankles is a good option, but it is recommended to apply ice first. If it doesn’t work out and you feel no change in pain or swelling, you can opt for contrast therapy.
Hot and cold therapy for shoulder pain
For Frozen Shoulder – Use a simple ice pack to minimize the local inflammation and swelling. Keep icing your shoulder for at least 10 minutes and do it daily before hitting the bed.
Precautions
Never apply ice or heat packs directly to the skin. Always keep a thin fabric between the source and skin.
How long do you alternate heat and ice?
It depends on the intensity of the pain. We can opt for ice therapy in the initial phases for 72 hours or up to 4 days. After that, the patient can safely switch to heat therapy that would help increase the circulation to the targeted or damaged area.
Conclusion
Ice can worsen muscle tension, cramps, and spasms, while heat can increase swelling and inflammation. Cold therapy seems to help in vasoconstriction, but heating supports vasodilation – absolutely opposite! But the point to ponder is “BOTH ARE EQUALLY EFFECTIVE.”
Why is ice good for injury?
It is effective because it causes vasoconstriction, or narrowing of the blood vessels. The muscles contract, inflammation is lowered, and pain signals are reduced.
Do you need a clock for contrast therapy?
Once you have decided on a method of contrast therapy, you should prepare your delivery methods of choice. You’ll also require a clock or stopwatch to time each application, although you don’t need to be too precise.
Can you use contrast therapy on hips?
Although the hip joint causes problems for many, it is not usually the best candidate for contrast therapy due to its size and the fact that it is often padded with fat. However, given the simplicity and cost effectiveness of hot and cold therapy, it’s worth trying contrast therapy for many conditions that cause pain.
Is cold or hot therapy good for recovery?
Hot and cold therapy may be effective in aiding recovery by reducing levels of both lactic acid and muscle soreness. It may be particularly beneficial for those who have a second workout planned for later in the day, as it doesn’t shut the body down in the way pure ice therapy does.
Why is ice and heat important?
Ice and heat help the injured areas to relax and promote proper blood flow through the veins. Both the ice and heat when used together can drastically slim down or even diminish any pain.
How does cold therapy work?
By contrast, cold therapy works through vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels. When this occurs, it flexes the muscles and reduces the inflammation that is causing the pain. Cold therapy is most commonly done through ice packs or short amounts of time in ice baths.
How to heal a swollen vein?
The cold causes the veins to slim and ultimately flex the muscles. This reduces the inflammation causing the pain. Switching between the two can also help to speed up the healing process. Most doctors recommend that you begin by using ice to shock the muscles and veins, and then use the heat to soothe them. For some tips on how to make the best use ...
How long does it take to warm up a lower back?
It’s important to apply heat for only a limited amount of time. Fifteen to 20 minutes of moist heat can often provide the temporary relief needed at the moment.
Can you use heat packs on a back injury?
While using ice and heat packs on an injured area are helpful in remedying pain, they are not the only way to alleviate back pain. Having the inflamed area examined and treated properly by a professional chiropractic will ensure that the pain subsides and heals in due time.
Can you use ice before heat?
Most physicians recommend using ice before heat. The ice temporarily shocks the muscles to attention while the heat loosens and relaxes. Pain relief ointments, such as Icy Hot, are found in many pharmacies and use this same concept by cooling the area first before applying heat.
Can you use heat on your back?
Using ice or heat for back pain is generally a safe, do-it-yourself treatment. However, it shouldn’t be considered a treatment method on its own. In most cases, back pain should be paired with medication and exercises to fully relieve the pain. When using heat, watch for redness and discomfort.
How long does it take to apply ice and heat?
How to safely apply ice and heat. You can apply ice and heat in lots of ways. Our experts generally recommend up to 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off: Ice packs: Frozen peas or corn, ice cubes in a baggie or frozen gel pack. You can ice beyond 48 hours, until swelling, tenderness or inflammation are gone.
When to use ice for a bruise?
When dealing with injuries, it’s best to predominantly choose ice if the injury is acute (less than 6 weeks old). The chill constricts blood vessels which numbs pain, relieves inflammation and limits bruising. “If you’re sensitive to cold then ice may initially seem uncomfortable or even painful to apply.
What is the best way to relieve pain from a swollen ear?
Besides the usual measures to alleviate the pain — rest, pausing of activities that cause pains, OTC pain relievers — ice is the preferred method here as it can ease the inflammation and help numb the pain.
How long can you ice a swollen elbow?
You can ice beyond 48 hours, until swelling, tenderness or inflammation are gone. Ice massage: Freeze water in a Dixie cup, peel back the top, and massage the tender area until it’s numb. (Best for targeted icing after injury or for areas too awkward for ice packs, like the elbow or heel).
How to avoid burns on neck?
Heat wraps: Drape a heat wrap, available at drugstores, around your neck like a scarf (great for work or travel). Heating pads: To avoid burns, remove heating pads if the area becomes uncomfortably warm.
How to help headaches?
While ice is usually preferred for headaches, moist heat or a heat wrap can relax neck spasms that contribute to headaches.
Is it okay to use heat on a swollen limb?
Ice wins to shut down swelling, inflammation and pain early on where heat may actually make an injury worse.”. If you’re dealing with lingering injuries (older than 6 weeks) then it’s okay to use heat. The increased blood flow relaxes tight muscles and relieves aching joints.
Ice Treatment
Ice treatment is most commonly used for acute injuries. If you have a recent injury (within the last 48 hours) where swelling is a problem, you should be using an ice treatment. Ice packs can help minimize swelling around the injury, reduce bleeding into the tissues, and reduce muscle spasms and pain.
Heat Treatment
Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax tight muscles and relieve aching joints. This is especially helpful to improve range of motion on a joint that maybe isn’t moving as well. For inflammation of joints caused by arthritis, using moist heat, like a soak in a tub or shower helps.
Arthritis
The inflammation of joints or pain caused by arthritis can cause pain and stiffness in places like your elbows, knees, shoulders and fingers. For these instances, using moist heat, like a soak in a tub or shower helps.
Muscle Strains and Sprains
Muscle strains and sprains usually benefit from a combo of both ice and heat when they occur. Whether you’ve pulled a muscle in your back doing yardwork or sprained your ankle playing basketball, it’s best to start off with ice to ease inflammation (including swelling, redness or tenderness of the injury).
Tendonitis
Tendonitis, a painful inflammation issue caused by repetitive activities, affects the tendons, the connective tissues between your muscles and bones. To alleviate the pain, rest, over-the-counter pain relievers and ice are recommended. Ice is preferred to ease the inflammation and help numb the pain.
When to use ice?
When To Ice It. As a general rule of thumb, ice should only be used for acute injuries, acute pain, or new injuries. Because an acute injury causes inflammation and swelling, ice the best to dull the pain associated with those reactions.
Why is it important to use ice?
This is why it’s so important to use them properly so as to get the reaction necessary for pain relief and inflammation reduction. Inflammation, pressure, and swelling are some of the reasons why pain can be so hard to manage when it comes to an injury. Ice helps reduce inflammation and numb pain, whereas heat helps relax muscles and stiff joints.
How long does heat therapy last?
Heat therapy can be used for a longer period of time than ice but is often effective within 15 to 20 minutes. You should not use heat if there are any indications of swelling and inflammation, as heat can worsen these conditions.
Why do we use heat?
When To Use Heat. In general, you should use heat to relax stiff muscles and joints. It is especially beneficial for soothing chronic pain, such as back and neck pain. It also helps relieve stress and tension, which could be causing the stiffness and chronic pain.
What is the best treatment for pain?
Also known as cryotherapy and thermotherapy, both of these therapies are excellent ways to reduce inflammation and pressure and help reduce pain. In order for these therapies to work, however, they must be used appropriately.
Does ice help with pain?
Although ice can help in reducing inflammation, swelling, and pain, there are some minor problems associated with ice if used improperly. If you ice for too long, you can cause your joints in the affected area to feel tighter and stiffer, increasing pain instead of relieving it.
Is ice and heat good for injury recovery?
The Overall Therapy. Both ice and heat should be part of an overall rehabilitation plan. Neither of these methods will work in injury or pain recovery on their own. Instead, they’re simply supplemental ways to reduce pain, inflammation, and stress which can aid in the recovery process.
How long after injury can you alternate ice and heat?
However, ice and heat can decrease muscle soreness and speed your recovery. While both treatments are beneficial, they are best suited for different situations. Ice and heat may also be alternated as soon as 3 days after injury.
How to reduce swelling in sore muscles?
Contrast baths may decrease pain and swelling in your sore muscles. They work best for areas that can be easily submerged in water. Alternating immersion in warm and cold water helps flush excess fluid out of the area as your blood vessels expand and contract.
How to treat sore muscles after a sprain?
Following the first 3 days after injury, you can alternate the use of ice and heat to treat your sore muscles. Apply heat if you're feeling stiff -- for example, in the morning after you get out of bed. Apply ice to decrease pain after activities.
How long does a contrast bath last?
Specific instructions for contrast baths vary, but they can begin immediately after injury. Treatment typically lasts for 10 to 30 minutes and may be performed more than once a day. References.
What is ice therapy?
Ice therapy is typically used in the treatment of sudden traumatic injuries, sports injuries, overuse injuries, and muscle spasms. Ice therapy has also been used in the treatment of some types of chronic injuries. Repetitive motions and high-impact exercise can expose certain areas of the body to repetitive stress.
How to treat a soft tissue injury with ice?
Fill each cup with water and freeze. Once the ice is frozen, the paper rim can be peeled away to expose a small amount of the ice, which can be gently massaged onto the soft tissue injury for a short duration. Keep peeling the paper cup to expose more ice as needed.
Why is ice therapy important?
Ice therapy can be an important intervention for soothing injuries that are accompanied by pain and swelling. Mild to moderate injuries can often be managed at home when the trauma only affects soft tissues. Icing an injury is often combined with other therapies depending on the type and severity of the injury.
How does heat therapy help with pain?
The goal of heat therapy is to increase blood flow to an area , helping relax stiff muscles and reduce joint stiffness.
How long does it take for ice to reduce swelling?
Using ice therapy within the first 2–3 days of injury is recommended for the reduction of swelling. The application of cold temperature at the site of injury temporarily numbs the nerves in the area, reduces blood flow to the site, and slows down the signals that promote inflammation beneath the skin’s surface.
How to make an ice pack?
Advertisements. You can do any of the following: Place a handful of ice cubes or crushed ice in a plastic bag and then wrap it with a thin towel or cloth.
How to protect skin from frostbite?
Forgetting to protect the skin: Directly applying ice to one area of skin for too long can lead to skin damage or frostbite. Thus, always wrap the ice in a thin towel or cloth to protect the skin from direct exposure. Restarting activity too soon: Resting the area can play an important role in recovery.
