You probably know that using ice and heat are essential parts of relieving pain and recovering from intense physical activity. However, it can be confusing to know when and how to use ice or heat. Should one be used instead of the other? What about both? If you've been wondering when to use these effective therapies, then you're in the right place. Here's how ice and heat affect your body.
How does Heat Work?
When you use heat on sore muscles or tissues, it increases circulation and metabolic activity. Heat therapy is a great way to warm up sore, stiff muscles, or scarred tissue before activity. This will help improve your range of motion and allow you to exercise, or do whatever physical activity you need to do, with less pain! Heat is also best used for chronic injuries or pain that do not have any swelling. You may also use heat therapy to reduce pain and spasms that occur with neck and back injuries.
Heat therapy can be done with heating pads, hot baths, or hot patches like the Sinsinpas hot patch. These patches provide heat throughout the day, and you can apply them without using any type of cream or lotion.
How does Ice Work?
Ice works by numbing the area and decreasing circulation of the blood. This helps decrease inflammation, swelling, pain, and cramping. Using ice is best after a workout or injury: when you have time to rest. If you use ice therapy before activity, it can actually cause harm!
You can use ice packs, ice baths, ice massages, or use special patches that provide cold therapy without using any ice at all! The Sinsinpas cold patch is an excellent option for this. You can apply the patch and still perform your regular, everyday activities while the menthol cools you. And since it's not as cold as ice, you can leave it on for up to 8 hours per day! If you use a regular ice pack, be sure to only leave it on the affected area for 20 – 30 minutes at a time.
Using ice and heat together is the best way to treat injuries. However, if your injuries are acute, which means it is sudden and has swelling, be sure always to use ice! It's also essential to never use heat after activity. However, heat therapy is an effective way to ease chronic pain and relax and heal damaged tissue. Many times, you need both to treat injuries, so be sure to have plenty of hot and cold therapy options available!
Published by SinSinPas
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