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When to use Ice and when to use Heat??
Updated: Jan 14, 2020
Ouch, I have a body ache. Should I ice or heat the pain?
Paul Ingraham, author of painscience.com says,"Ice is for fresh injuries, and heat is for stiff, aching muscles. Roughly. But the devil is in the details, and there are a lot of them."
If you RIGHT NOW pull a muscle or sprain your ankle for example, it is a good idea to ice the injury for the first few days to calm the inflammation and swelling. However, if you're feeling chronic back pain or stress in your shoulders, put some nice heat on that.
Another therapeutic method involves alternation between hot and cold, but we can speak about what that is for another time.
For more information, see the detailed article above : https://www.painscience.com/articles/ice-heat-confusion.php