Ice vs. Heat: What’s Best for Your Pain?

Every person, regardless of their body type, their level of physical activity and athletic predispositions will experience muscle straining, ligament spraining, headache or back wrenching at some point in their lives. In addition, the process of aging increases our chances to experience arthritis too. There are many people who are wondering whether heat or ice can help them in situations like this. The following is a list of answers provided by the specialists who work at Cleveland Clinic. • Headaches – Cold wraps and/or masks placed on the eyes, forehead and temples have proven to be helpful in cases of migraine. Ice should be your first option, but there is evidence that hot wraps can inhibit neck spasms that make the headaches worse. • Sports injuries – When we are thinking about heat and ice, we usually prefer heat because we usually associate it with something cozy, comfortable and warm while ice is uncomfortable and cold. However, ice is a better option when you need to relieve inflammation, acute pain and swelling. If you apply heat for sports injuries you will just intensify the inflammation and make things worse. The only exception is when you want to relax injured muscles prior to stretching and physical activity. This is where you can use moist heat and icing after that. • Arthritis – This is where heat comes into play. Heat is a better solution for arthritis pain and injuries that last for 6 weeks or more. According to famous rheumatologists, people suffering from chronic osteoarthritis experience improvement when they use heat. Once again, there is an exception. Those dealing with acute gout flares should use ice.

Using Heat or Ice Therapy Explained

Heat and ice can be used in many different ways. Specialists advise their use in cycles – 20 minutes on followed by 20 minute break. • Ice massage – Take a Dixie cup and freeze some water in it. After that, peel the top of the cup and rub the affected area slowly until you notice that the area is numb. Ice massage is ideal for precise icing right after you have suffered an injury or for body parts where it is difficult to use ice packs. • Ice packs – Take a frozen gel pack, ice cubes in a bag or frozen corn or peas and place them on the problematic area. This type of icing can be practiced for more than 2 days or until the tenderness, swelling or inflammation are eliminated. • Moist heat – Take a shower, bath, whirlpool or hot tub. Make sure that the temperature is between 92 and 100 degrees. In other words, the water should be warm. Don’t use hot water. • Cold masks – Put a cold mask (you can buy one in any drugstore) on top of the eyes or apply a towel left in cold water for a while on top of the temples and the forehead. • Heating pads – In order to keep yourself safe from burns, remove these heating pads in case the areas appears too warm/hot. • Heat wraps – Arrange a heat wrap (you can find them in almost any drugstore) on the neck. Use it as a scarf.

Situations When You Need to be Careful

• Wax treatments based on paraffin provide moist heat, but if the heat is too intense you may experience burns. These treatments are costly and they require too much effort.
• Those suffering from diabetes or other similar diseases that lower sensation in some body parts should be extra cautious because high temperatures can lead to skin damages.

Finally, don’t forget that you can use cold remedies to bring down fever. Via Everyday Health