Which To Use When
By Louise Roach, Thu Dec 8th
Knee pain after running? Wake up with a backache? Twist anankle? When aches, pain, strains or swelling take place due to aninjury or chronic condition, what is the best course of action:ice or heat? Many people automatically assume heat will easetheir discomfort. Think again! Ice and heat have opposite effects when dealing withinflammation and pain. Both are useful when applied at thecorrect stage of an injury. Ice constricts blood vessels anddecreases blood flow to an injured area, therefore reducinginflammation. It also numbs pain. Heat increases local bloodcirculation and relaxes tight muscles. When is it appropriate touse each?
The Acute Injury Stage: Immediately after an injury occurs,inflammation and swelling takes place due to damaged softtissues and broken blood vessels which leak blood into theaffected area. This is considered the acute stage of an injuryand lasts about 48 to 72 hours. Pain, stiffness, bruising andtissue tenderness are symptoms of the acute stage. Ice shouldalways be used immediately following an injury because itconstricts blood vessels, which will lessen swelling, as well asnumb pain and control bleeding. Apply ice no more than 20minutes at a time. Always protect skin from tissue damage byusing a cover over the ice pack. Allow the skin to return tonormal temperature before reapplying ice. Heat should not beused during the acute stage. It will increase blood leakage,which increases swelling and possibly pain. Most professionalsagree that icing an acute injury will facilitate healing.Applying heat may actually slow healing during the first 72hours after an injury takes place. The Chronic Injury Stage: This is normally the point at whichinflammation decreases, approximately 72 hours after the injury.Pain and stiffness may still be present. At this point, both iceand heat can be used to assist
in healing. Use ice to controlpain and to help with inflammation that might occur afterworking the injured area, such as a sore knee after running. Useheat to relieve muscle tightness or joint stiffness. Heat isalso helpful before a workout to increase blood flow to theinjury and warm up the affected area. When applying heat, usemoist warmth. Never use a heating device that is too hot norsleep on a heating pad, which may result in burns. Apply heatonly for 20-minute intervals, using the same general guidelinesas ice. An Easy Guide for Ice and Heat: When to Use Ice: During Acute Stage (48 to 72 hours immediatelyafter an injury) - To decrease swelling and inflammation - Tonumb pain - To decrease muscle spasms - To treat an acute burn During Chronic Stage (after inflammation subsides, usually 4 or5 days after injury) - To manage pain and possible swelling -After an activity or workout involving an overuse injury todecrease pain and swelling - To treat joint swelling due toinflammatory arthritis When to Use Heat: During Chronic Stage (after inflammationsubsides, usually 4 or 5 days after injury) - To warm up stiffjoints and aid in joint mobility - To decrease chronic musclespasms - To aid in stretching tight muscles - Before an activityor workout involving an overuse injury to warm up the affectedarea Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute forprofessional medical treatment or consultation. Always consultwith your physician in the event of a serious injury.
About the author:Louise Roach is the editor of on-line health and fitnessnewsletter, NewsFlash*SnowPack. She has been instrumental in thedevelopment of SnowPack, a patented cold therapy that exhibitsthe same qualities as ice. Her injury prevention and treatmentarticles have been published on health and fitness websites. Formore information visit: http://www.snowpackusa.com Visit our free health newsletter at:http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash/
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