When to use a heat pack or an ice pack on an injury is often confusing. Here in WNY, it seems like heat is always the way to go. Who wants to use an ice pack when it is already freezing outside? Well, the truth is that ice is almost always a better option.

New injuries or newly aggravated old injuries are inflamed. Inflammation has a number of characteristics, redness, swelling and the area will seem warm. If the area is already warm, doesn’t it make sense that more heat would be a bad thing? Adding heat to an inflamed area simply adds to the inflammation. Conversely, this is an area where ice shines. Using an ice pack on inflammation causes blood vessels near the injury to constrict and reduce the swelling. Reducing swelling often greatly reduces pain. Ice should be used frequently on these types of injuries, but only for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Using ice for longer periods of time can actually reverse its effect. If ice is applied to an area for about 20 minutes, the body starts to think it is freezing and the blood vessels stop constricting and start dilating.

Heat is a great tool for treating older injuries. The kind of old achy pains that have been nagging at you for some time, but are not inflamed.

There are two things to be careful of when using heat: time and temperature. Believe it or not, but many people put a heating pad on high and then fall asleep with it on them. It is not uncommon for a doctor to see a patient that has an outline of a rectangle on their low back from a heating pad. Just as with ice, do not use heat for more than 20 minutes.

Using heat and ice for injuries is regularly over looked as an effective treatment. However, when used correctly, they can be a powerful method for reducing pain.

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