You can treat a wide variety of injuries -- from a pulled muscle in your back to a sprained ankle -- by changing the temperature of the injured area. Applying either cold or heat can reduce pain and soothe your body in other important ways. Immediately after an injury occurs, start with cold treatments, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. After at least three days since you've been injured, apply heat treatments.
Cold
Cold reduces inflammation, pain and muscle spasms by slowing blood circulation. You can reduce both pain and inflammation by applying ice to aching muscles for the first 24 to 72 hours after the muscles have been injured, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Placing an ice pack (or even a bag of frozen vegetables) on the painful area for 15 to 20 minutes, three times daily can help, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other types of cold therapy to consider include hydrotherapy and iced towels or other iced compresses. Cold therapy's effects last longer than the effects of heat therapy, says Spine Universe.
Heat
Heat improves blood circulation. Once more than 72 hours have passed after your injury occurred, the painful area may be soothed by applying heat to it, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. When you use heat to draw blood into your injured tissues, you deliver oxygen and nutrients that the tissues need while also removing waste from cells in the area, according to Spine Universe. Applying heat to the injured area can also relieve pain, increase your range of motion, relax tense muscles and decrease muscle spasms, Spine Universe says. Low-level heat applied directly to the skin through heat wraps on a continuous basis for at least eight hours can relieve pain more than short bursts of heat treatments or commonly used pain medications, the American Pain Society says. Other types of heat therapy to consider include hydrotherapy, dry or moist heating pads, hot and moist compresses, and chemical gel packs.
Cautions
Never apply cold or ice directly to your skin, Spine Universe cautions, because doing so could cause skin or nerve damage. Place a barrier (like a towel) between the cold agent and your skin's surface. If you use hot packs rather than wraps, always wrap them in a towel before applying them to your skin to avoid burns. Also, after using commercial gel packs that are either cold or hot, immediately discard them, says Spine Universe, because the chemical agent in the gel can burn skin.
