Ice versus Heat
Most of us recognize that therapeutic ice and heat (cryotherapy and thermotherapy) are good choices for injury relief. They are cheap, simple, fairly effective, easily accessible, and can be used just about anywhere.
The problem is that many people don’t realize there is a difference between the two, and don’t understand when they should be using ice versus when they should be using heat.
ICE
Long gone are the days where doctors all tell you to ice an injury for weeks on end. Ice is for acute injuries and is best applied within the first 24 hours of the trauma to calm down damaged tissue and temporarily numb some of the pain. It’s important to remember that the inflammatory process is natural, healthy, necessary process involved in tissue healing, but applying some ice helps to dull the pain and take down a bit of the swelling.
Examples of when to use ice would be a freshly pulled muscle or ligament damage from rolling your ankle. The best forms of cryotherapy are actual ice blocks, bags of ice, artificial cold packs, or natural sprays or gels with cooling properties. Icing an injury for roughly 10-30 minutes is effective as long as the body can tolerate it.
HEAT
Heat is for chronic or recurring tissue aches, pain, and stiffness. Chronic pain often involves lots of tension, anxiety, and stress - and comforting heat therapy can help soothe an irritated mind and nervous system. Not only that, but heat actually loosens tissue and promotes blood flow which can help the body move better and heal more efficiently in the long-run.
Examples of when to use heat would be recurring low back pains or chronic neck and upper back tightness. The best forms of thermotherapy are electric heating pads, hot towels, or natural sprays or lotions with warming properties. Heating an area works well in cycles of 10 minutes on and then 10 minutes off. Use the off time to stretch, move, and circulate blood flow and inflammation.
Is One Better Than The Other?
Ideal uses of ice and heat are roughly equal in potency, which again is moderate at best. Neither one is a strong form of therapy. The reason to use them is because they are cheap, available, easy, and mostly safe forms of therapy - especially compared to some alternatives.
The Bottom Line
Use ice within 24 hours of a new injury and use heat for everything else. At the end of the day you can simply use whatever feels better for you.