If you have suffered a sports injury, you are likely willing to try anything in your quest to return to normalcy. Yet there is an appropriate time for ice and an appropriate time for heat. Let’s take a look at exactly which types of injuries should be treated by ice and which should be treated by heat.
Using Ice to Treat Chronic and Acute Injuries
Athletic injuries are typically grouped into chronic and acute. Chronic pain occurs over time and tends to plague athletes for an extended period of time. Acute pain occurs rapidly and is often short-lived. Acute injuries typically occur as a result of a trauma such as a sprain, fall or collision. Signs of an acute injury are pain, redness, swelling and inflammation. The best way to treat acute injuries is with ice. Cold therapy will minimize the swelling as well as the pain due to the fact that ice allows blood vessels to narrow. Cold therapy can even limit the amount of internal bleeding that occurs at the injured body site. Ice has also proven helpful in the quest to treat injuries that result from overuse and/or an athlete’s chronic pain. In general, athletes apply ice to sore or injured body sites after exercising rather than before.
Heat Therapy
Most athletes rely on heat therapy for injuries that are not characterized by swelling or inflammation. In general, athletes who suffer from stiff, sore or nagging muscles/joints find substantial relief through heat therapy. Certain high-level athletes have actually started to rely on heat therapy hours before exercising in order to reduce the odds of re-aggravating an already-existing injury. Applying a source of heat stimulates blood flow and boosts the elasticity of the connective tissues within joints. Athletes also swear by heat therapy’s ability to loosen up overly-tight muscles or muscle spasms that result from physical activity.
However, it is worth noting that heat therapy should be applied before exercising. Set a timer for 15 – 20 minutes so that you don’t apply excessive heat to your injury. Also, make sure that there are layers between the heat source and your skin. Otherwise, you could suffer a painful burn. If the heat source does not improve your injured body site within 48 hours, reach out to a medical professional for further assistance.
Do you believe you are suffering from a sports injury? This helpful blog might clear up some answers for you. Call us today at 417-781-6300 and let us access your pain!
