When to Apply
Oftentimes, ice is recommended for acute Injuries and heat is recommended for chronic injuries. While ice does provide temporary pain relief, research has shown that it actually delays the healing process by slowing down cellular metabolism.
Heat will increase blood flow and nutrients to get to the injured area for repair. Movement also helps promote healing of musculoskeletal injuries since muscle contractions push fluids through the lymphatic system for maximum healing.
Heat
- Heat = increased blood flow
- Important to use it sparingly as your body already has mechanisms to increase blood flow to injured areas.
Ice
- Ice = Pain Relief
- While ice does provide temporary pain relief, research has shown that it actually delays the healing process by slowing down cellular metabolism.
What We Recommend
- When injured use ice for its pain relieving benefits but only in short treatments.
- We recommend a 10/10/10 (on/off/on) strategy followed by a longer break to allow blood flow back to the injured area.
- For blood flow benefits, we recommend a 10-15 minute heat treatment followed by a break.
- It is important to maintain physical activity like walking to encourage blood flow and recovery.
If you are unsure of which modality to apply, be sure to contact a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific needs.