Which is Better - Ice or Heat?
Which is Better - Ice or Heat?
It’s hard to get through life without straining a muscle, spraining a ligament, suffering a headache or wrenching your back. And the longer you’re on the planet, the more susceptible you are to arthritis. But when something hurts, what will make it feel better - ice or heat? And when does it make sense to use both? These are such common questions I hear almost daily so I decided it was time to clear up the confusion.
Arthritis: The inflammation of joints or pain caused by worn-away cartilage in joints can cause pain and stiffness in places like your elbows, knees, shoulders and fingers, just to name a few. For these instances, moist heat, like a soak in a tub or shower of warm-but-not-hot water (92-100°) helps.
Who hasn’t experienced a headache of some degree? Some are lighter, easily treated with OTC pain relievers while others require some extra steps for relief. Ice can help soothe throbbing pain in your head. Cold masks or wraps over the forehead, eyes and temples help the throbbing pain of a migraine. While ice is usually preferred for headaches, moist heat or a heat wrap can relax neck spasms that contribute to headaches.
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 calf or back doing yard work or sprained your ankle playing basketball, it’s best to start either off with ice to ease inflammation (including swelling, redness or tenderness of the injury) and numb the pain. Only after the inflammation resolves is it a good idea to switch to heat. This can help relieve any muscle stiffness at the injury site.
Tendinitis is a painful inflammation issue that affects the tendons, the connective tissues between your muscles and bones. A common cause is repetitive activities so tendons in your elbow, knee, shoulder, hip and even your Achilles tendon are common sites. 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.
While similar to tendinitis in that there’s tendon pain, tendinosis is distinct because of the cause - a chronic, long-term condition caused by a degenerating tendon. Because this condition involves irritation and stiffness in tendons attached to joints, heat is best for relieving stiffness in the joints, but only after the inflammation resolves.
You can apply ice and heat in lots of ways. 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.
• 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).
• Cold masks: Place a cold mask, available at drugstores, over your eyes or lay a towel soaked in cold water over your forehead and temples.
• Moist heat: Enjoy a bath, shower, hot tub or whirlpool using warm, not hot, water (92-100°).
• 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
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Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training, 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio, visit her Facebook (Core Performance Health and Fitness), Instagram (@cptcoreperformance), go to www.coreperformancefitness.com or call her directly at 716-698-1198.
