Ice vs Heat-which is better for pain?
If you are undergoing much pain due to muscle sore, what’s the finest way to be relieved? Should you go for a cold compress initially or use one of those heating pads?
There are numerous techniques that can help reduce the symptoms of muscle pain (like TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or thru medications), however, the simplest means are cold and heat therapy.
But, which should be used first? Heat or cold?
Basing from a research circulated by the Mayo Clinic, the best technique to relieve muscle sores is applying cold therapy and then followed by heat therapy.
Cold therapy
If you are experiencing inflamed and swollen muscle or joint, what you should do is to first reduce the blood flow to the part that will lessen the swelling and reduce the speed of the transmitted pain messages. This can be effectively done through cold therapy.
- A few effective techniques in using cold therapy are:
- Applying a cold compress can offer an effective relief to muscle pains.
- Applying a cold compress to the swollen area. Cold compress should be applied for a minimum of 20 minutes, each 4 to 6 hours. Make sure to do this for three days.
- Drenching the part in a very cold tub (ensuring that the water is not iced cold)
- Making use of a chemical cold pack
- You can make a cold compress by simply filling up a plastic bag with ice or frozen veggies and encasing it in a dry cloth.
Heat therapy
Using heat therapy in an inflamed area can help sore and relax those tightened muscles. Moreover, heat stimulates good circulation and better blood flow to the affected area (removing any buildup of lactic acid).
Heat therapy is typically extra effective as compared to cold therapy at relieving chronic muscle pain or joints that are sore due to arthritis. In fact, a few clinical studies have shown that CLHT or continuous low-level heat therapy helps in decreasing muscle and joint pain than taking oral acetaminophen, analgesics, and ibuprofen.
Effective means of heat therapy include:
- Heat therapy using a heating wrap
- Heat therapy using a heating pad
- Soaking the painful part in a hot bath
- Using heated paraffin wax treatment
- Using a warm compress or a hot water bottle
Heat is ideally applied in the area for 20 minutes for 3 times a day, or as indicated – as compared to using single-use patches or wraps, which at times is specified for use of up to 8 hours of continuous use.
