Everything you need to know about ice packs and heating pads

Should I use Ice or Heat?

The general rule is ice for acute, moderate to severe, inflammatory and nerve pain, and heat for chronic, milder to moderate, muscular and arthritic, pain. However, if you are not sure where to start it is better to start with ice, because mostly all pain has an inflammatory component, and ice is best at reducing inflammation.

The best place to start is 15 minutes over the area of the spine that leads out to the pain and you can also use ice directly over the area of pain. Then take the ice off for 30 minutes and repeat again. You can do as many rounds as you like, with the goal being at least 6 rounds if you are experiencing significant levels of pain.

When you first start using heat, do not keep the heat on for longer than 15 minutes and re apply every couple of hours. Heat has the ability to make you feel relief and relaxed, however, once you remove the heat, and that area of your body begins to cool it can have a tightening and spasm affect, which lets you know you should be starting with ice.

If heat allow you to feel relief and relaxed and you have no ill affects of using the heat once your body part begins to cool, and you notice improvement over the next couple of days, than heat is right for you.

Some people like to alternate ice and heat, which is called contrast therapy. If this is something you would like to use, first make sure that your body tolerates ice and heat therapy first, before using them both together. Always start and finish with ice. With contrast therapy you can switch between ice and heat every 5-15 minutes.

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