We use ice and heat every day to make life a little better. Whether we’re cooling down a glass of water or heating up leftovers in the microwave, we regularly use ice and heat to manipulate the temperature of certain things. We can also use ice and heat on our bodies to make it function a little better! But which is better for chronic pain, ice or heat? We explore the answer to that question in today’s blog.
Icing Or Heating Chronic Pain
We can’t sit here and say that it’s always better to ice an area or always better to heat it if you’re suffering from chronic pain. Every person’s pain is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. So to say you should always do one or the other is disingenuous.
Instead, let’s take a closer look at what each technique does, and it may help you figure out what move is best. Heat helps to open up blood vessels and improve your circulation. Healthy blood can more easily flow to muscles and structures in your body, so if your chronic pain is being caused by a frequent muscle cramps or joint stiffness, heating the area may be the right move.
On the other hand, ice helps to constrict blood vessels. This limits the flow of fluid to and from an area, which can be helpful if you’re dealing with an inflammatory response. Icing will help to calm swelling and inflammation that can make movement uncomfortable. If this inflammation is contributing to nerve compression and chronic pain symptoms, icing may be the perfect solution.
Again, find what works for you, but here are a couple of methods that tend to be helpful based on the cause of your discomfort:
Lower Back Pain – Heat tends to be better than icing, but again this is highly dependent on the root issue.
Arthritis – Arthritis tends to see some mild symptom relief with either heat or ice.
Joint Overstress – If your joints are painful from a long day of physical activity, ice may be the best way to calm inflammation.
And finally, remember that how you apply ice and heat is important. Heating pads can work great, but so too can a warm bath or a hot shower. When it comes to using ice, be careful not to apply ice directly to the skin, as this can lead to cold burns or other injuries. Don’t apply an ice pack directly to the skin, instead wrap it in a towel or cloth before putting it on the affected area. Cold baths or showers can be another way to help calm inflammation instead of an ice pack.
You also want to limit your time with each technique. Don’t heat or ice an area for more than 15-30 minutes at a time. Over-applying ice can do more damage than sitting in a warm bath for an hour, but instead of sitting with heat applied for an hour, do so for 15 minutes then get up and stretch to help muscles get used to movement and activity when they are getting ample blood flow. Be sure to pursue active treatments alongside these ice and heating techniques for maximum benefit.
To learn more about whether ice or heat is right for you, or to talk to a pain specialist about your chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.