It works by reducing blood flow to a particular area, which can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling that causes pain, especially around a joint or a tendon. It can temporarily reduce nerve activity, which can also relieve pain.
There are a number of different ways to apply cold therapy to an affected area. Treatment options include:. People with sensory disorders that prevent them from feeling certain sensations should not use cold therapy at home because they may not be able to feel if damage is being done.
This includes diabetes, which can result in nerve damage and lessened sensitivity. For home treatment, apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel or ice bath to the affected area. You should never apply a frozen item directly to the skin, as it can cause damage to the skin and tissues. Apply cold treatment as soon as possible after an injury. Use cold therapy for short periods of time, several times a day.
Ten to 15 minutes is fine, and no more than 20 minutes of cold therapy should be used at a time to prevent nerve, tissue, and skin damage. You can elevate the affected area for best results. If you have an infection and use heat therapy, there is a chance that the heat therapy could increase the risk of the infection spreading. Heat applied directly to a local area, like with heating packs, should not be used for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Knowing when to use cold therapy and when to use heat therapy will significantly increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Some situations will require both. Arthritic patients, for example, may use heat for joint stiffness and cold for swelling and acute pain.
If either treatment makes the pain or discomfort worse, stop it immediately. If medications aren't easing your pain you may be looking to alternative remedies for relief. 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! Here's how:. Icing in recent years has been under scrutiny. Is it really effective? Is it necessary?
One thing is for sure: it can help decrease your pain and make you feel good. When icing, use the CBAN method, keep the ice on for only about 10 minutes, and keep your body part moving before and after icing. Checking with your healthcare provider or physical therapist is a good idea to learn exactly how to manage your injury. When ice is used to reduce pain and inflammation caused by an injury, including after surgical procedures, it's called cryotherapy.
Probably not. It's generally advisable to expose skin to ice for no more than 10 minutes at a time, with a 30 to minute break between applications. It can put you at risk for a number of complications, including frostbite and tissue necrosis.
There also have been isolated instances of compartment syndrome a painful muscular condition and perniosis inflammation of small blood vessels in reaction to cold exposure associated with over-icing. In general, it's OK to use ice for as long as you have pain, swelling, and inflammation.
A typical protocol is to apply ice for 10 minutes at a time once per hour for the first 72 hours. From then on, ice should be used three times a day—morning, midday, and a half-hour before bed—for 15 to 20 minutes.
Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Cold-induced vasoconstriction may persist long after cooling ends: an evaluation of multiple cryotherapy units. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. What is the evidence for rest, ice, compression, and elevation therapy in the treatment of ankle sprains in adults? J Athl Train. The cold, hard facts of cryotherapy in orthopedics.
National Organization for Rare Disorders. University of Michigan Health. Using Ice and Cold Packs. Nov 16, Your Privacy Rights. Cold numbs the affected area, which can reduce pain and tenderness. Cold can also reduce swelling and inflammation. Search Encyclopedia. Ice Packs vs. Warm Compresses For Pain It can sometimes be confusing whether to use heat or cold when treating sore muscles or an injury.
Heat Brings more blood to the area where it is applied. Should not be used for the first 48 hours after an injury.
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