Should You Use Heat or Ice for Pain?

Aches and pains from injuries, a new exercise program, or just a day of hard work happen to us all. Commonly, people seek relief through rest and either applying hot or cold packs to the area. When you are in pain and trying to decide between reaching for the ice pack or digging out the heating pad, there are specific reasons to choose one over the other. Both hot and cold therapies work well for treating pain, but they work in opposite manners and are each useful in different situations.

Ice for acute injury

Ice is best for acute injuries like twisting your knee while playing kickball with your kids or hearing a mysterious a pop while picking something up. Whatever the cause, acute injury comes on suddenly and painfully and often includes swelling and inflammation.

For any injury or pain with swelling and inflammation, cold treatments work best. Cold tends to slow the blood flow to an area and can be used soon after an injury to prevent swelling and reduce the overall effect of the injury.

Ice should be applied for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Be sure to protect the skin from direct contact with an ice pack by wrapping it in a towel. Ice can be repeated several times a day but is most effective right after the injury.

Heat for muscle pain or stiffness

If you are sore from a hard workout or have an overuse injury, you might be familiar with this pain. It often comes on gradually, sticks around, and can affect either one muscle or joint or feel like overall stiffness throughout the body.

For muscle pain or overall stiffness, increasing blood flow and circulation can help. Heat brings blood to the area to relax and soothe the pain, and the increased circulation speeds muscle healing. Heat therapy can be applied in several ways — from heating pads to saunas to warm, wet towels or warm baths. With heat therapy, the goal should be warm temperatures rather than hot, so you don’t burn the skin and overheat the body. Heat can be applied for a longer time than cold therapies, and more severe pain will benefit from longer sessions.

Cold therapies and heat therapies are both wonderful options for relieving pain. The type of pain will determine the best therapy and the length of time the therapy should be applied. In some situations, alternating cold and heat therapy has benefits as well. As always, it’s best to check with a doctor if you have a medical condition that could be affected by temperature-related therapies.