Ice vs. Heat Pain Relief
Ice vs. Heat Pain Relief
Understanding how to relieve pain with hot and cold therapy treatments
Cold Therapy vs. Heat Therapy Pain Treatments
There are many methods for reducing pain but most involve ingestion or topical application.
A common method for pain reduction in athletes is through heat and cold therapy. This can be applied to anyone with a more immediate need for pain relief caused from a sports or minor muscle & joint injuries or sprains.
What is Cold Therapy?
If you pull or strain a muscle, tendon or ligament while playing a sport or exercising, you have a soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injuries can be very painful due to the physical trauma of the injury. This results is swelling, stiffness, pain and muscle or joint tenderness due to blood flowing to the affected area.
Using ice or gel packs with cold therapy methods slows down the circulation around the injury, reducing inflammation, muscle spasms and overall pain. Cold therapy also causes your blood vessels to constrict, which reduces swelling.
The Rice Method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Evaluation)
There is a common method for recovery referred to as The RICE Method. When you incur an injury that needs cold therapy, you can apply the RICE method for 24-48 hours after the injury:
- Rest the affected area
- Ice the pain area to reduce swelling
- Compress, or loosely wrap the area to help decrease the swelling
- Evaluate: raise the sore body part above the level of your heart. This reduces pain, throbbing, and any internal bleeding that can lead to bruises.
Apply cold therapy for 15-20 minutes, remove it for 10 minutes, and then reapply.
What is Heat Therapy?
Heat opens up blood vessels and increases blood flow.
Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promoting blood flow, and help sore muscles relax.
Types of heat therapy include:
- applying safe heating devices to the area (heating wraps, pads, compression).
- soaking the area in a hot bath
- rubs or patches containing medicated capsicum
- Dry heat packs
- Moist heat packs
Heat therapy methods are normally be applied to the area for 20 minutes, up to three times a day, unless otherwise indicated by a medical professional.
Dry wraps and patches can be used for up to 8 hours depending on the person. Ask a medical professional for assistance if this method causes irritation.
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Using Guided Nutrients Topical Treatment for Pain Relief
Guided Nutrients Topical Ointment has been found to be one of the best bone, cartilage & joint treatments available.
Our through-the-skin application helps with:
- Pain resulting from current injuries that are affecting bones, cartilage and muscles.
- Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
- Relieving symptoms from disfiguring calcium deposits, osteoporosis and other degenerative and bone wasting conditions.
- Discomfort or pain brought on from sports, hard work or physical conditions.
