Ice vs. Heat

The general rule of thumb is to use ICE on acute injuries and HEAT on chronic injuries.

Acute injuries are new injuries. They are usually the result of a specific impact or traumatic event that occurs in one specific area of the body, such as a muscle, bone, or joint. Acute injuries usually produce obvious signs of inflammation: pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. Ice works well in these cases because it causes the blood vessels to constrict. This slows down the flow of inflammatory chemicals into the injured soft tissue and limits further injury.

Chronic injuries are old injuries. Chronic refers to any sort of physical injury, illness, or disease that develops in a slow manner, is persistent and long-lasting, and constantly recurs over time. If the injury is mild and there are minimal or no signs of inflammation then heat works well. Heat causes the blood vessels to dilate. This speeds up the flow of blood, which accelerates tissue healing.

-Stand Up Chiropractic Team