{"id":29184,"date":"2019-03-05T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/?p=29184"},"modified":"2020-03-13T14:23:55","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T18:23:55","slug":"cold-vs-heat-therapy-which-one-is-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/blog\/cold-vs-heat-therapy-which-one-is-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold vs. Heat Therapy: Which One is Better?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nCold and heat therapy are often used as a treatment for sprains, strains, pain and other injuries. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>But how do you know when to use which? And is one better than the other?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer is that <strong>it depends. However, as a general rule of thumb:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Ice<\/strong> is good for reducing swelling and inflammation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Heat<\/strong> is good for relaxing and soothing muscle pain, chronic pain, or stiff muscles and joints<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If used correctly, cold and heat therapy can help:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assist with tissue healing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Control swelling<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increase range of motion <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If used <strong>incorrectly<\/strong>, however, these methods can worsen an injury or slow recovery times: heat therapy can make inflammation worse, and ice can aggravate tight or stiff muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Cold Therapy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What is Cold Therapy?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Simply put, cold therapy reduces swelling and pain.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an injury occurs, the surrounding soft tissue often bruises, swells and becomes inflamed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a cooling agent is applied to the skin, blood vessels constrict and blood flow decreases, reducing that swelling and inflammation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skin temperature goes down and nerve endings are numbed, which dulls the pain. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Common cooling options include:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ice packs<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ice baths<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ice cubes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crushed ice compresses<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold cloths<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coolant sprays<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frozen gel packs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>How and When to Use Cold Therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold therapy is best within the first 48 hours after sudden acute injuries (such as from a sprain or strain or pulled or torn muscle), or for 3-5 days afterward, if inflammation persists. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow the PRICE protocol to manage an injury in the early stages when swelling and pain is at their peak: <strong>Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some additional tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use cold therapy for 10-15 minutes several times a day, but no more than 20 minutes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never apply a frozen item directly to the skin, as it can cause damage to the skin, tissues, and nerves \u2013 wrap the item in a towel first<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold therapy can also be used after an activity \u2013 not before \u2013 to prevent or reduce pain and swelling, control inflammation, or ease muscle spasms<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Heat Therapy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What is Heat Therapy?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Heat therapy is used to relax and soothe muscle or joint pain and stiffness, chronic pain, and reduce muscle spasms.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow to the area being heated, delivering needed nutrients and oxygen while aiding in the removal of cell waste and promoting healing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>There are two different types of heat therapy:<\/strong> dry heat and moist heat. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both types of heat therapy should aim for \u201cwarm\u201d as the ideal temperature instead of \u201chot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Dry heat<\/strong> includes saunas, or items like dry heating packs, hot water bottles, gel packs, and electric heating pads which are best for local or small areas of pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Moist heat<\/strong> includes items like steamed towels,\u00a0damp clay packs used in physiotherapy clinics and hospitals, or hot baths<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moist heat is preferred over dry heat, since it penetrates deeper to reach muscles, ligaments, and joints<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therapeutic heat, such as from an ultrasound, is often used in the chronic phase of an injury. It is also used for relief from arthritis, muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, tendinitis, and more. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How and When to Use Heat Therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat therapy often works best for morning stiffness or to loosen muscles before an activity \u2013 not afterward \u2013 as it increases muscle flexibility and range of motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some additional tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hot packs should be applied for 15 to 20 minutes \u2013 minor stiffness or tension can often be relieved in this timeframe<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Several layers of towels should be used as a barrier between the heating agent and the skin to help prevent skin irritation or burns<\/li>\n<li>A warm bath or sauna lasting between 30 minutes and two hours would be better for more severe or widespread pain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>When Not to Use Cold and Heat Therapy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>While cold and heat therapy is a good treatment option for many, they are generally not recommended for people with:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sensory disorders, because of an absence of skin sensitivity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impaired circulation or ischemia<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes because of possible nerve damage and lessened sensitivity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open or infected wounds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dermatitis or eczema<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart disease or hypertension \u2013<strong> consult your doctor first<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold therapy shouldn\u2019t be used for people with <a href=\"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/blog\/is-this-serious-why-are-my-fingers-always-cold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vasospasm (Raynaud\u2019s disease)<\/a> or hypersensitivity to cold. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat therapy shouldn\u2019t be used for people with vascular disease, deep vein thrombosis, multiple sclerosis, or cancer if treating the region over the tumor site.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat therapy should also be avoided in the acute phase of an injury when swelling or bruising is present and the skin is hot to touch or in an area of recent bleeding. <strong>If you experience increased swelling, stop treatment immediately. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>When to Use Both Cold and Heat Therapy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternating between cold and heat therapy can give you relief from aches and pains caused by conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia, and for an acute injury after the first 3-5 days of cold therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing when to use each therapy will significantly increase the effectiveness of the treatment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re still uncertain, or if you have pain that doesn\u2019t improve within 48 hours, <a href=\"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/find-a-clinic\/\">contact a physiotherapist\u00a0near you to learn more about the best way to treat your symptoms.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cold and heat therapy are often used as a treatment for sprains, strains, pain and other injuries. But how do you know when to use which? And is one better than the other? The answer is that it depends. However, as a general rule of thumb: Ice is good for reducing swelling and inflammation Heat is good for relaxing and &#8230; <\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/blog\/cold-vs-heat-therapy-which-one-is-better\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":29185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[317,298,297,710,296,300,301,295,331,299],"tags":[609,835,385,412],"class_list":{"0":"post-29184","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ankle-pain","8":"category-back-pain","9":"category-foot-pain","10":"category-health","11":"category-knee-pain","12":"category-limb-pain","13":"category-neck-pain","14":"category-pain-relief","15":"category-shoulder-pain","16":"category-wrist-pain","17":"tag-ask-a-physio","18":"tag-cold-therapy","19":"tag-heat-therapy","20":"tag-rice"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29184"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/master.dev.pthealth.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}