People are confused when to use ice or heat to reduce pain. Especially when you are in pain, how do you decide which to apply? Patients that come to Euclid Chiropractic are also unsure, but leave with why either ice or heat will help them. Here is how this controversy is clarified.
Heat Benefits: draws more blood in the tissue causing warmth and loosening. This would help stiff joints, arthritis and tight muscles loosen. For example, our senior patients have stiffness from arthritis so heat application would be a benefit.
Ice Benefits: when signs of disc and nerve pain including pain down the leg or arm, numbness, weakness, and a pinched feeling with spine motion. Ice application cools and tightens to push the fluid/inflammation out of the tissue, reduces the disc swelling and numb the nerves. Then new blood (vitamins/minerals) circulates into the tissue to allow better healing.
With either therapy (ice or heat) better circulation is the goal. See your Chiropractor to know which would be your best benefit.
Each person is at a unique state of health.
Enjoy a Complimentary consultation from these specialists and recover from nerve, spine, and muscle pain.
