How does icing help our injuries?

Question

By contrast, how does heating help and when do we know which one to use when we get injured?

Answer 1

By keeping any swelling at a minimum. You use it for the first twenty four hours, several times, twenty minutes on, twenty off. After that you can begin with some moist heat, or both ice & heat if they both make things feel better. If you use both, again, twenty minutes on, twenty off.  

Answer 2

Icing reduces inflammation...

Heat increases circulation to the affected area.  

You should ice first, and then use heat.

Answer 3

Icing reduces inflammation to the area you have injured. Ice is obviously cold and it is the body's natural response to limit blood flow to an area which is cold initially. By reducing blood flow to the area, you limit the amount of inflammation and inflammatory mediators to the area, reducing swelling. Too much swelling to area can slow healing.  Its important not to ice much more than 20minutes at a time as this can cause an increase in blood flow to the area (hence more inflammation). Ice is commonly only used for the first 48 hours after an injury.

Using this information you can then adapt what heating an injury will do. Heat will cause an increase in blood flow to the heated area and to the peripheral. Heat in connective tissue such as muscles, ligaments and tendons increases there elasticity (so they wont be as tight) and is very good for loosening tissue and increasing blood flow. This can be really helpful in chronic injuries.

I hope this all made sense, just a bit of my brain on paper and my understanding with my studies, and hoped it helped answer your questions.

Regards,

Lloyd

Answer 4

Generally, its cold packs the first 24 hours after an injury and after that heat, until it subsides.