Ice or Heat?

A question I get asked weekly by patients is when should you Ice or Heat an injury?
Firstly, you need to work out how the injury occurred. For example, can you remember feeling a sudden pain when doing an action such as, kicking a ball or lifting something? Or, is it difficult to pin point when the pain started and did it come on gradually over time?

There are two ways of classifying an injury. Acute and chronic. If you hurt yourself “doing” something such kicking a ball then this would be considered an acute injury. If your pain developed over time then it would be classified as a chronic injury.

Once you can answer this question then I believe the management is simple.

In the case of an Acute injury you would apply Ice for the first 48 hours for 10-15 mins every 2 hours (where possible). The reason you apply ice is to slow down blood flow to the injured area. This prevents swelling and excess internal bleeding. Ice also acts as a natural anaesthetic as it numbs the area and reduces pain.

In most cases, after the first 48 hours there is no real benefit to keep on icing the injury except for pain relief and comfort. A healthy blood flow is required to assist in the natural healing process of an injury. Therefore, if you continue to ice an injury for a prolonged period you run the risk of preventing your body’s natural healing process. 

After this initial 48 hours I would suggest consulting your health care professional for a diagnosis and advice on continuing care.

In the case of a chronic injury where you can’t specifically think when it began or what caused it, I would always suggest applying heat. Heat increases blood flow and in doing so promotes the body’s natural healing process.

It is always important to talk with your health care professional regarding a chronic complaint as when an injury gradually occurs over time your body will often develop compensatory patterns. Quite often it is the compensation that may be noticed first hence, why it’s important to speak with a professional and get to the cause.

This is just a general guideline to assist you to help yourself. I hope it helps!

If you have any further questions on this topic or if you have any other questions that you would like addressed please send them through.

Stay happy and healthy!

Dr. Angela Newton (aka Newton)