The age-old debate rage on Heat vs. Ice after an injury, You can ask twenty different medical providers and you may get twenty different answers to this same question. This article will help clarify any confusion surrounding this hotly debated topic (pun intended).
Why Ice?
Let’s first take a look at icing. The most common answer you will get when asking about why we should ice is something along the lines of to control inflammation and therefore decrease swelling. This seems logical. Ice creates vasoconstriction (narrowing of small blood vessels). Cells recruited during the inflammatory process are transported to an injured area through the bloodstream. Constricting the blood vessels transporting these cells decreases the swelling which controls” the amount of inflammation in an area. Inflammation will also initiate the pain signal.
We recommend icing an injured area during the first 24-48 hours after the onset of the injury. This is the peak inflammatory stage and will help control the amount of swelling and pain.
Why Heat?
As soon as you are out of the inflammatory stage it may be appropriate to introduce heat. The heat will increase the amount of blood flow, which in turn will help the muscle warm-up. As an injury heals, especially if it is a soft-tissue injury (e.g. muscle, tendon, or ligament), it is typically beneficial to heat the injury before exercise. The heat has a way of “prepping” the muscle by increasing blood flow. The nerves are better able to prepare for movement with heat. Stimulated warm muscles are able to absorb more energy while being used. This may help prevent further injury.
General Guidelines:
There are clearly benefits to both treatments. We recommend the following:
- New injuries (within 24-48 hours): Ice 20 minutes at a time with an hour break
- Healing Injuries (48 hours-3 months): Alternate between ice and heat 20 minutes at a time with an hour break in between each treatment
- Old Injuries (more than 3 months): Heat 20 minutes at a time with an hour break
Other precautions:
- Place a paper towel or thin cloth between your skin and the ice. This will help prevent frostbite
- Place a towel between you and the heat pack to avoid burns
- Jarvinen TAH, Jarvinen TLN, Kaariainen M et al. Muscle injuries: biology and treatment. Am J Sports Med 2005;33(5):745-64.
About Elite Chiropractic & Performance Center
Located just outside of Salt Lake City and in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley, Elite Chiropractic & Performance Center is the premier chiropractic office in Utah. Drs. Monte Layton, Jeremy Wimmer, Chris Harbrecht, and Jordan Mousley specialize in providing care for many different conditions and injuries. Those in the community seek Elite’s care for low back pain, neck pain, shoulder, knee, elbow, wrist, hip, ankle, and foot pain. Call today to schedule your first appointment. 801-432-7511.