Heat vs Ice
In most cases; Ice is for injuries, and heat is for muscle tension.
Ice is for injuries — calming down damaged superficial tissues that are inflamed, red, hot and swollen. However the inflammatory process is a healthy, normal, natural process. Which can be painful response. Therefore studies suggest icing is mostly just a mild, drugless way of dulling the pain of inflammation.
Icing in most studies has been found ineffective in reducing swelling …. but do we need to reduce swelling?
Heat is for muscles, chronic pain, and stress — taking the edge off the pain of whole muscle spasms and trigger points, or conditions that are often dominated by them, like back pain and neck pain, for soothing the nervous system and the mind.
Heres a great short video that might help clear up a few myths
Below are great ways to use Ice and heat.
Ice / Cold
A bag of frozen peas is great apart from they are to cold to put directly onto the skin and therefore you need to wrap them in a tea towel which often masks the cold from getting through.
So the best way we suggest is get a bowl of COLD water with ice, place a flannel or tea towel in the water and completely submerse it. Then rinse it out and place it on the area in question. Leave it on the area for no longer than 5mins.
Heat / Warmth
Taking a warm bath with epson salts is a great way to thoroughly warm the muscles and the epson salts are a great natural muscle relaxer whilst also helping to draw out toxins. Ensure its warm and not scalding hot! Because if you have any inflammation in the muscles the excessive heat can serve to exacerbate it.
Another way is a bowl of HOT water, place a flannel or tea towel in the water and completely submerse it. Then rinse it out and place it on the area in question.
Also Wheat bags and hot water bottles work well on certain areas.