We all
know that treating an injury immediately
after it happens can help minimize the pain
and damage as well as facilitate recovery.
But after rolling your ankle in a soccer
game, or hurting your back when lifting your
toddler, or tweaking your knee when stepping
out of your car, what's best? Should you ice
it to try to control inflammation, or would
heat be better to promote circulation?
While it's difficult to establish a
fail-safe rule for when to apply ice or
heat, the general directive is to use ice
for the first forty-eight to seventy-two
hours after an acute injury and then switch
to heat.
It Depends:
The reality is that many conditions
are not necessarily the result of a specific
injury. I call these conditions "recurrent
acute" and find them by far the most common:
sciatica that occurs when you drive a car, a
back that flare up every time you garden, or
tennis elbow from intense computer work. In
these cases, consistent and frequent
applications of ice may prove very helpful
over long periods of time, particularly
immediately after experiencing the event
that causes problems.
Conversely, back or other muscle spasms
caused by overexertion rather than injury
may benefit greatly from heat immediately
upon the onset of symptoms or immediately
after exercise in order to relax the muscles
and increase circulation. Also, muscle belly
pain not resulting from acute and serious
trauma generally responds well to heat,
which can break the spasms and release the
strain. On the other hand, nerve and tendon
pain--regardless of the duration of
symptoms, even if you've been experience
them for months--benefit from ice.
What Works
for You: The bottom line:
different individuals will constitutionally
vary greatly in their reactions. Some people
are more prone to the types of inflammation
exacerbated by heat, while others find their
bodies contracting and tightening at the
mere mention of ice. Try each option and pay
close attention to how your body and mind
respond, and let your gut be your guide.
Ultimately, what works best for you is,
well, what's best for you.