Avenue Clinic

Avenue Clinic

Should I use Ice or Heat on an Injury?

Both heat and cold are beneficial in reducing pain, but they work in different ways. Through my experience some people are still not sure when they should be using cold or when they should be applying heat. I hope you find the following useful.

Ice packs should be used on acute injuries, for example an ankle sprain or a muscle strain (especially in the first 48 hours). Make sure you wrap the cold pack in a towel to avoid a freeze burn and do not apply it for longer than 10 minutes at a time. You can ice an injury several times a day, but you should allow skin temperature to return to normal between each application. The ice pack helps to control/reduce the swelling, therefore will help to control pain. Heat increases blood flow and therefore increases swelling, so should not be put on a recent injury where swelling is involved.

Heat packs are mostly commonly used on chronic injuries/injuries you have had for a while, for example aching in the upper shoulders from deskwork or longstanding low back pain. Heat helps stimulate blood flow to the area and relaxes the tissues. You should again be careful to avoid burns and should only apply heat for 20 minutes at time.

So remember:

–       Never apply heat to an injury when swelling is involved

–       Do not apply heat after exercise or while sleeping

–       Do not apply ice to an injury before exercise

–       Do not apply ice or heat to skin that is in poor condition

If in doubt about the use of ice or heat, please consult a healthcare professional.

 

Reference:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/heatorcold.htm

 

 

"We took Baby C to the osteopaths for a number of sessions and after a couple I noticed that Baby C was no longer sleeping with his back arched and was more settled. His sleeping improved and he is now sleeping 12 to 13 hours at night."

Mrs C (for Osteopathy )

From the blog...

Keep it Cool and beat the Heat- Focus on Tokyo 2020.

With the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics in full swing, I thought we would share some insight into cooling strategies for the athletes.  This research was published in June 2020 in the British Journal of sports medicine. I have linked the article at the bottom. The conditions for athletes, like Guernseys own Cameron Chalmers,  competing in Tokyo […]

Read More

Running into problems?

During the various lockdowns that have been occurring due to the pandemic, a lot of people have taken to running in order to stay fit.  Unfortunately, since then, there has also been an increase in running injuries coming into our clinic. It seems perfectly reasonable to a lot of people that even if it’s been […]

Read More

Tips for working from home

Elbows, knees and hips should be at approximately 90 degrees. Monitor should be at a height that your line of sight falls in the top third of the screen. Monitor should be approximately an arm span away from you. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides, do not elevate your shoulders. Feet should be flat […]

Read More
›› Book Online