Ice or Heat After an Injury?

When you have an injury, ice or heat can help support healing alongside pain medication. But which should you use, and when?

Let us start with the normal healing process. After a new injury, the acute, or inflammatory, phase generally lasts from 24 hours to one week. At this stage, pain is more or less constant, including at rest, and may throb. Swelling and redness can also occur. For a recent injury, we use the

PRICE protocol: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

How to Apply Ice:

1 – Place a damp towel between the ice and your skin to prevent frostbite.

2 – Apply ice for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, no longer.

3 – Visually check the area every five minutes. There may be some initial discomfort and redness, but you should feel less pain. Stop treatment if discomfort persists.

4 – You can apply ice every two to three hours if inflammation continues.

When Not to Use Ice:

– Impaired circulation

– Loss of skin sensation

– Raynaud’s disease

– An open wound or infection

– Hypersensitivity to cold

– Acute dermatitis or eczema

As inflammation settles, tissues enter the repair phase. Blood flow carries nutrients and oxygen to the injury site so the tissues can regenerate. Warm compresses help dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow, supporting the removal of dead cells and promoting healing. Dry heat products are available at pharmacies, including electric heating pads, Magic Bags and gel packs. In the clinic, we use moist clay hot packs. Moist heat penetrates more deeply to reach muscles, ligaments and joints. At home, wrap a damp towel around the hot pack, then cover it with a dry towel before applying it to your skin.