Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3786 LivesSaved
3568 Lives1 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
How do I know when I should use a heating pad on an injury vs. a cold pack? Do they do the same thing? Is heat better than ice for some injuries? Thanks.
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
Just as Free2Bme said: the R.I.C.E. method for treating muscle swelling and inflammation is usually the first step to bring down the swelling and encourage muscle repair and recovery. As a distance runner and coach, I often deal with sore muscles, and I tell my charges that the ice bath will become their new best friend. We even have an ice bath - a large trash can filled with ice and water - on hand for after our Saturday morning training runs when our feet are swollen and our thighs "burning."
Heat, whether via a heating pad or topical ointment, is more for relaxing tense muscles and muscle spasms. When I was undergoing physical therapy for a torn rotator cuff, my therapist applied "icy heat" to my shoulder.
In both cases, you need to exercise care and caution so that you don't burn your muscles - frost bite can happen with an ice pack and too much heat can burn your skin.
On Ice and heat packs
September 2, 2008 - 4:26pmThis Comment