Should I use ice or heat?

You’ve probably heard a few answers. You may be confused. I hope I can clarify things for you here.

ICE
Ice is a main stay of first aid for musculoskeletal injuries. You may have heard of an acronym for first aid such as PRICES (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Support). The main goal of using ice is to control swelling and inflammation. This is your body’s first response to injury and is actually part of the healing process. But you can have too much of a good thing; the swelling itself can cause further tissue damage and prolong paina. Ice will help control swelling and pain as well as speed initial heeling.

HEAT
Heat is best used to help with dull, achy pain and stiffness. In short, warm stuff bends easier. Let’s say you injure your shoulder. It hurts, of course, especially when you move it. So what do you do? Not move it for a while. But your shoulder gets tight and stiff during this time and even when your pain is improved you can’t reach as high as before. Another, more extreme example is the joint stiffness after taking a cast off. This is where heat comes in. Heating your shoulder first will make it easier to do stretching. Bikram yoga, performed in a hot room, is an example of of this idea.

Take home: Use ice first after an injury, usually until pain and swelling are improved. Use heat later to loosen up sore and stiff areas.