<u>Ice or Heat</u>: The Great Debate at He's Fit

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Ice or Heat: The Great Debate

Posted August 31, 2007 at 02:00 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: In The News, His Fitness, Injuries & Rehab

hot or cold pack Ice or heat? As straightforward as this question sounds, these two choices are often points of hot debate amongst athletes attempting to soothe injured body parts. Yet despite strong arguments from both sides, here’s the simple truth: ice and heat both have their advantages and neither is a cure-all. Therefore, the safest bet to heal sports-induced injuries is to understand which method works best for what conditions and when.

Let’s start off on the cold front. Ice is one of the most common fall-back solutions for many sports-related injuries. Sprain your ankle? Tie some ice around it. Got a nasty bruise from a fall? Go grab a cold compress. While ice certainly does have some undeniable healing effects for hurting athletes, it shouldn’t always be the answer you turn to. So when should you use ice? In short, swelling is the key.

injury ice According to most research, it’s the time immediately after direct trauma to the body that ice should be applied. Fractures, sprains, and even muscle spasms highly benefit from the speedy application of a cold compress. As studies from Nursing journal have documented, the cold temperature produced by ice helps treat such conditions by reducing the presence of pain and swelling.

According to Dr. William Shiel, an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, the phenomena of swelling and inflammation after an injury is the product of blood leaking into ruptured capillaries. Essentially, when you apply ice to such an injured area, you help constrict the blood vessels, thereby restricting the flow of blood and reducing the amount of blood and fluid that leak into the tissue. In other words, cold applications will minimize swelling and pain. Of course, don’t trick yourself into thinking that if you don’t feel pain you must not be hurt. Ice can often be merely a temporary solution. For any injuries that cause prolonged pain and injury, chuck the ice and head to the doctor.

One more tip to keep in mind: ice should not be used prior to workouts or athletic events. Cold treatments work to constrict circulation to injured areas, which is why they should be used only after exercise to reduce any swelling or pain that might have been caused in the process.

heat pack If cold is key after injures occur, where does that leave heat? According to most medical professionals, heat treatment works best for muscle relaxation and chronic injuries. Whenever muscles or joints are tight, sore, or stiff, your best chance at relief is applying a heating pad or hot towel to the affected area. By applying heat to tight, stiff muscles, you are stimulating blood flow and allowing those muscles to relax. And just as cold should be applied after injury, heat treatment should generally be used before any workout or exercise.

As SportsMedicine.com points out, heat increases blood flow and skin temperature. Therefore, applying warmth to any injury that is beginning to swell will only aggravate the inflammation and pain you are experiencing. But by treating aching muscles before exercise with some form of heat application, you allow blood to flow and relaxation to occur. Relaxed muscles make for a safer workout, which is just what every athlete should be aiming for.

Hot and cold advocates can now unite. Both treatments can work wonders when applied correctly, and can help ease the types of pain athletes regularly encounter. While doctors should always have the final word, rest assure that for minor aches and pains heat and ice will do the trick.

Research sources and for more information: [About.com]; [SportsMedicine]; [MedicineNet.com]; [DrNick.com]; [Waterson, Marion. Nursing. “Hot and Cold Therapy.” Oct78. Vol. 8, Issue 10.]; [picture1]; [picture2]; [picture3]

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Tags: body parts, heat, heat pack, ice, ice pack, injury, pain, rehabilitation, relaxation, sports injury, sportsmedicine.com, swelling, therapy, university of california irvine, william shiel

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15 Responses to “Ice or Heat: The Great Debate” (Leave a reply)

El Hefe from Somewhere, out there said:

As a rule, ice cant hurt up to 72 hours post-incident. For post-surgical stuff like total joint replacements it tends to hamper flexibility. Hunter’s reaction has been disproven for some decades now. A SMALL fraction of the population is actually allergic to ice (wheals) but it assuredly has an important place in acute injury treatment. Diabetics and other folks with altered sensation should use caution with either modality.(i.e. don’t sleep with either one on)
August 31, 2007 at 08:28 PM
Megan said:

El Hefe,
Thanks for your advice! As an athlete and someone who worked in an athletic training room for some time, I know a lot of people (and sometimes trainers) can be confused about this topic. We appreciate your feedback!
September 2, 2007 at 01:43 PM
drug rehab treatment said:

I never thought that ice can help.... Do you know some other uses for ice ? :)
January 3, 2008 at 09:51 PM
mexico fishing from russia said:

I think that ice is better than something hot when you have an injury
January 5, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Sports Tickets said:

Ice is better than anything (for the moment). It’s easy to procure and has a fast effect on your “buba”.
January 21, 2008 at 07:57 PM
term life insurance no medical exam said:

You know, there is a practice called “Irish showers” that helps in case of pain of the articulations. The medical staff uses two hoses , one with cold water and one with hot water, alternating them very fast. The bones feel heat and cold in short periods of time and the blood circulation is getting better and better.
February 8, 2008 at 07:03 PM
How to Gain Weight from Toronto said:

An accute injury like an ankle sprain should immediately be treated with a cold pack to reduce swelling. This will aid in healing. Heat should only be used after the initial injury, to promote blood flow and speed up recovery time.
February 14, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Life Insurance said:

I totally agree with the chap from Toronto on this.
February 20, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Life Insurance Help said:

Both works…

I use ice when it is hot
And if it is cold outside I use warm
February 21, 2008 at 10:36 AM
grand canyon tours from Jefferson, WI said:

One particularly important aspect of gross anatomy of muscles is pennation or lack thereof. In most muscles, all the fibers are oriented in the same direction, running in a line from the origin to the insertion. In pennate muscles, the individual fibers are oriented at an angle relative to the line of action, attaching to the origin and insertion tendons at each end.
February 24, 2008 at 12:14 PM
James Dalton from Los Angeles said:

Great article, I did not know that about ice. Now when I am lifting weights or get that horrible ankle injury (I suck at bastkeball) i will remmeber this.
March 8, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Drug Rehab from Romania said:

Actually all the ice thing treatment is very logical: ice reduces temperature and contracts the injured area and preserves the wound. It is nothing miraculous.
April 11, 2008 at 06:48 AM
Ada Wakeman said:

I have always been told and always have simply just used ice and it has worked fine for me. You just have to make sure you don’t burn yourself with the ice. I use muscle cream as well which always seems to help immensely.
___________________________________________
Ada Drug Rehab
April 27, 2008 at 09:44 PM
Arizona Web Design from around said:

The C is for compression, and its used to decrease the bleeding as well as as the hamorrhage. The area should be compressed right through the day and the compress should be removed at night while sleeping.
May 19, 2008 at 03:41 AM
Cristian from Romania said:

I think that you need a good muscle treatment in such cases and the doctor that treats you is the boss. It depends on his choice and his experience.
June 24, 2008 at 11:33 AM