Injury why ice

Sore, stiff, nagging muscle or joint pain is ideal for the use of heat therapy, says Dr. Tight muscles are prone to injury. Heat relaxes the muscles so that workouts can occur as safely as possible. This is also why stretching before and after exercise is important in preventing injury, he adds.

For those with a chronic condition, it is important to use heat therapy before exercise to increase the elasticity of joint connective tissues and to stimulate blood flow.

After a workout, ice is the better choice for a chronic injury. So, what is the best way to apply these treatments? Leary recommends the following six steps for applying ice to an injury.

Apply ice to the injury as soon as possible. Icing is most effective in the immediate period following an injury. After 48 hours, the effect of icing diminishes significantly. Move the ice frequently, not allowing it to sit in one spot. Elevate the body part.

Keep the injured body part elevated above the heart while icing — this will further help reduce swelling. Watch the clock. Ice for minutes, but never longer. You can cause further damage to the tissues, including frostbite, by icing for too long.

Allow time between treatments. Allow area to warm for at least 45 minutes or an hour before beginning the icing routine again. If the skin is bright pink, it is not ready for another icing. Repeat as desired. Ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating. However, if pain persists after 48 hours, or gets worse, be sure to see your doctor. Ice packs can be made from ice cubes in a plastic bag or a warm, moist towel.

Adding water to the bag also helps. By ending on ice, the vessels will be narrowed and will help keep inflammation from re-entering the area. Heat and ice can be used on all injuries or sore body parts at any time and can provide significant pain relief.

Ice is definitely not as comfortable as heat, and ice will sometimes ache or burn for the first five to seven minutes of the minute session. If used appropriately, it can help tremendously with most aches and pains. Ice vs. November 04, To ease that pain, is it better to use ice or heat? What is Inflammation? Does heat make inflammation worse? About Applying Heat Heat does have its role. Rules to Remember: If an injury has occurred to any body part within three days, ice is preferred -- 20 minutes on and 30 to 40 minutes off.

Pain to the back, neck and large muscle groups like quads, hamstrings and calves will respond well to heat after three days of injury. Use ice for pain in joints such as knees, elbows and shoulders. Keep It Local Do not apply ice or heat to large areas of the body if only one joint or body part is the focus.

Comments October 20, My chiro advised icing and applying ice then heat. Thank you for the great explanation. October 15, You have explained the use of ice and heat, singly and in combination better than a number of sites I read before finding you.

A much appreciated and magnificent job. Thank you heartedly. September 28, Most informative and very helpful. Thank you soo much. June 29, Thanks very much I learn the difference between ice and heat for pain. Reply From: OrthoCarolina. June 29, This was great! I now have a very clear understanding on how to treat my injuries, thank you so much! May 02, I am very thankful that I found this article!

I've had knee replacement surgery and suffered a lot of pain. I was told by therapist that icing was my best friend, but what I didn't know was that 20 minutes on and 30 to 40 minutes off is the best cycle of using ice. I tried it and it worked much better! Thank you for the knowledge! March 20, Thank you for letting me know in plain language about the icing and the Heat I was always getting confused about the two. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. It's common to ice an injury with the goal of speeding up the healing process.

Icing may be used for sprains , strains , overuse injuries, and bruises. Applying ice has been thought to help decrease swelling and inflammation , as well as reduce pain.

However, there are some details to keep in mind to make the icing treatment safer and more effective. This article explains how to properly ice your injury. It will also explore what you can use to apply cold to your injury. Do not allow ice to sit directly on the skin for long periods of time. Either do an ice massage or use a thin towel between the ice and skin.