Ice Pack Or Heat?
If muscles ache it’s often hard to know what’s best to use.
Heat is great for soothing muscles, but if the muscles stiffen back up within a few hours then you may be prolonging the agony.
Muscles tighten to protect underlying inflammatory conditions – ligament or cartilage damage. The localised nerves send a damage signal to the brain to say, “…hey there’s a problem here, do something about it”, tightening the surrounding muscles to prevent further damage.
Heat packs draw more fluid into an already swollen joint adding more fire to the furnace. Applying heat provides a short term reprieve because it relaxes the muscles but it’s over-riding that neurological protective mechanism. This short term reprieve often makes the pain pattern stay with you for longer periods of time.
You wouldn’t put heat on an ankle sprain would you?
Ice can be surprisingly soothing. Just wrap the pack in a thin towel to prevent an ice burn, placing it over the spine at the level of the pain or ache for 5 – 15 minutes, with an hour or more inbetween to allow the muscles to return to room temperature and avoid stiffness.
Apply for 5 minutes on the neck where the joints are much closer to the surface and 15 minutes on the rest of the spine or pelvis.
