Headaches from the Neck

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Ice or Heat?

You just felt something snap in a muscle. You fall to the ground and the pain and swelling begin. What do you put on the injury? Heat or Ice?

There has always been debate on this issue. After 14 years of studying the matter here is my conclusion.

• Always put ice on an injury, 15 minutes per hour as many hours as you like.
• Use heat if you have a old chronic injury.
  
• When in doubt, ice.

When you first have an injury there is swelling, ice helps the swelling. Use a gel pack or bag of ice cubes and apply to the injures area. Putting it over a shirt of thin towel will help keep the skin from getting too cold. Make sure to limit the ice to 10-15 minutes. More than that can do damage to small capillaries and nerves in the area.

When using heat it must always be moist heat. Adding moisture will prevent local dehydration which increase muscle spasm. Remember, don't use heat on a new injury.

Post a comment on this page if there are any questions, glad to help.

For more information...

• Ice therapy: how good is the evidence?
• Arthritis Patients Choose Chiropractic
• Why are you walking on your knees?
• Exercise page at Back Experts
  

Arthritis Patients Choose Chiropractic

Arthritis is the name given to more than 100 different diseases that cause pain, swelling, and limited movement in joints and connective tissue. One out of every six Americans suffers from some form of arthritis, and unfortunately, the condition can last a lifetime. In 1997, Americans made an estimated 629 million visits to practitioners of "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM), compared with just 388 million visits to primary care physicians that same year. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that many arthritis patients used CAM, and that chiropractic was the most frequently used type of care. Even more significantly, chiropractic was also near the top of the list in terms of the number of patients who regularly used CAM, and the number of patients who found CAM helpful for their condition. Don't let arthritis get the best of you. If you or someone you know suffers from the daily pain and frustration of arthritis, schedule an appointment with a doctor of chiropractic. Rao JK, Mihaliak K, Kroenke K, et al. Use of complementary therapies for arthritis among patients of rheumatologists. Annals of Internal Medicine, Sept. 1999: Vol. 131, No. 6, pp409-16.