Should I Use Ice or Heat for My Pain?
You have almost certainly heard of using ice or heat to relieve pain. Many of us have memories of putting ice on a black eye or heat on a sore muscle. There are even entire product lines out there dedicated to providing these at-home therapies. So, it’s no secret that ice and heat are common treatments for minor injuries. But, when you stop to think about it, do you actually know why these are effective pain relievers, or when to use which one?
Use Ice for Injuries
Using ice helps calm damaged tissues that are inflamed. Inflammation is a healthy and natural process that your body undergoes in response to an injury. When an injury is detected, your body increases the flow of antibodies and blood to the area to help it heal. But as a result, the tissues around the injured area become swollen, red, and painful. So, while inflammation is generally a good thing, it can be uncomfortable nonetheless.
Icing is a mild but effective way to reduce inflammation and swelling because cold constricts blood vessels and reduces circulation. As an added perk, the cold can also numb the pain a bit, providing some additional relief. Don’t worry, the injured tissues are still getting the antibodies they need and will heal just fine. For best results, start using a cold compress as soon as possible after an injury occurs.
IMPORTANT: Direct and/or prolonged contact between your skin and an ice pack can be painful and could damage the skin. Be careful to only apply ice for about 20 minutes at a time, and always keep a thin cloth or towel between your ice and the skin. Wait 20-30 minutes before reapplying the ice pack. Repeat this process for the first 48-72 hours after the injury, as necessary.
Heat is for muscles, chronic pain, and stress
Heat takes the edge off symptoms like aching muscles and joint stiffness. Chronic pain, especially back pain, often involves a lot of tension, tightness, anxiety, and sensitization. Applying a comfortable amount of heat to the affected area can help relieve these symptoms.
Heat works exactly the opposite as cold. Heat opens up blood vessels and increases blood flow to the area. The increased blood flow aids in the healing process and can help relieve at least some of the pain. Think of it as self-induced inflammation.
In the case of acute injuries, the general rule of thumb is to start with ice and then move to heat. As such, you will want to start applying heat about 48-72 hours after the injury, once you have completed icing the area. Just like ice, do not apply heat for more than 20 minutes at a time. Also, be careful to control how much heat you apply to your skin so you do not burn yourself and cause more pain.
Choose Heat or Ice Carefully
As much as using ice and heat can help injuries, it can also be harmful if used incorrectly. Heat can make inflammation significantly worse and ice can aggravate symptoms of tightness and stiffness. Both can also increase the level of pain when they are unwanted. Icing when you are already shivering or applying heat when you are already sweating can be mistaken by the body as a threat, which can actually make the pain worse.
When using ice, you want to be careful when it comes to muscle pain. Sometimes you may think an area is injured, but it may just be achy muscles. You can also occasionally have painfully sensitive spots called trigger points. These can be intense and easily mistaken for an injury or inflammation. But, if you end up icing a trigger point, it can burn and ache even more. The most common times people tend to make this mistake is when experiencing neck or low back pain.
Applying heat to inflammation is something else you have to be cautious of. If you add heat to a freshly injured area that is already swollen and inflamed, it is only going to further stimulate the inflammation and become more painful.
When In Doubt, Always Listen to Your Body
Both heat and ice can be effective when used correctly and on the right type of injury. The most important thing to remember is to use whichever method feels best to you. If you are already warm and the thought of adding more heat to an area of the body doesn’t sound pleasing, don’t do it. Or if you are already chilled and adding ice doesn’t sound ideal, you don’t have to do that either. Listen to your body. It knows what it’s doing.
When Heat and Ice Don’t Work
Heat and ice are effective at relieving pain caused by common issues like minor injuries and aching muscles. Generally, this type of pain should go away on its own after a bit of rest and home care. However, if you are experiencing pain that has not subsided after three weeks (with or without applying heat or ice), you may want to consider having your pain examined by a pain management professional.
The providers at Twin Cities Pain Clinic are specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic pain.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, contact us today:
Call: 952-841-2345
The contents of this article are intended for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with a physician or other qualified healthcare provider before engaging in any action or decision-making based on the content of this article. Never disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice or treatment because of the content of this article or any other content on the Twin Cities Pain Clinic website. Reliance on any information conveyed on the Twin Cities Pain Clinic website without direct consultation with a healthcare professional is solely at your own risk.
