Which helps you more with injuries, hot or cold?

AprilSun

AprilSun

Senior Member
Hi everyone! This is just a curiosity question. I injured my back last week and the doctor told me to rotate ice with heat. I tried it and every time the cold makes my injuries stiffer and hurt more. I can put heat on it and it relaxes and feels better. I know they were thinking of reducing swelling when I was advised to use ice. I don't use ice anyway but I have cold packs that I use instead. But, this was what caused my injury to feel tighter and hurt more. Obviously, I kept the heating pad on it instead. Which works better for you?
 

I have bad knees. Even the doctor and physical therapist couldn't come to an agreement as to the best course of treatment. I decided to go with what feels good. Right now heat is wonderful. It really limbers the knees up. I do 10 minutes on,10 minutes off. Maybe in the summer when I am dying of the heat I will try ice. What ever works.
 

I say heat is more soothing to injuries. For inflammation, like they use the ice for, I'd rather take supplements internally instead, like MSM (Methyl-sulfonyl-methane) or Turmeric (Curcumin). Then stick with the heat. Therma Care wraps are very good, can be worn under clothing and last 8 to 10 hours, but they are pricey. We buy them when they're on sale at Costco.
 
It's been a while since I've read up on injury treatment but I always remember RICE... rest, ice, compression, and elevation. That said I think the deal is you want to use ice initially on sprains/muscle injuries because that encourages blood to rush to that area. Sometimes afterwards I think heat treatment becomes more appropriate. But if you feel you are getting more relief with one of them, that is a good sign and I would keep doing what provided relief.
 
I tried putting ice on it for a short time and then putting the heating pad to it but it didn't make any difference. That's when I decided to stick with what "feels good" and today it is just sore. No pain but plenty of soreness. I have a friend that says heat works better for her also. Maybe I've hung around her too long and she rubbed off on me. :)
 
I had always heard ice was just for the first day, to reduce swelling. After the first day, it's too late to worry about swelling---it either happened or didn't. Probably I'm wrong, though. :confused:
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I have bad knees. Even the doctor and physical therapist couldn't come to an agreement as to the best course of treatment. I decided to go with what feels good. Right now heat is wonderful. It really limbers the knees up. I do 10 minutes on,10 minutes off. Maybe in the summer when I am dying of the heat I will try ice. What ever works.
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I had really bad knees several years ago, I could only walk from the parking lot to a bench in the mall because they hurt so bad. My Doctor advised me to get a bike and ride it every day for 45 minutes. The idea was to build up muscle around the knee joints. It was winter so I got an exercise bike. By Spring I hated the damn thing so I bought a mountain bike and that was fun. I've never had a bit of knee trouble since but I've worn out 4 exercise bike and two good mountain bikes. Hope this helps. :D
 
When I broke my ankle and foot they said ice for swelling to go down. It was swollen for a long time. I didn't keep putting ice on it, though, as it didn't seem to make much difference.
 
The only time ice or cold water has ever made a difference for me is with burns, then it's a blessing. Warmth for me for muscle injuries and things like that
 

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