Ice or heat which works better for pain?

In my clinic I always recommend ice for temporary relief of pain. Pain is our bodies way of letting us know something is not right. Pain is caused by a number of chemical and physical reactions after an injury, which I wont bore you with. The major reaction is inflammation. Inflammation is a protective mechanism that our bodies produce. It is like a natural cast that the body produces in order to limit further injury. This inflammation is a major cause of pain and reduced range of motion. To reduce the amount of inflammation it is important to ice the affected area 20 minutes at a time every 2 waking hours. Why not heat it feels good? Because, heat causes an influx of fluids resulting in an increase in inflammation and more pain. Yes heat feels good, but in the long run it slows healing and causes more pain. The ice causes fluids to flee/flush from the area resulting in less inflammation and less pain. Think of ice as a natural anesthetic. If you do not have an ice pack a simple bag of frozen peas or other veggies works great. Just place a damp towel on the area, then place the ice pack on top of that, and finally cover everything with a dry towel to lock in the cold. This performed for 20 minutes will result in a marked decrease in pain.

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