How to Incorporate Cold and Heat Therapy After an Injury

Aches, pains, and small injuries can happen from time to time when playing sports or after having an accident at home. These injuries are very common, and they can happen suddenly or as a result of overuse and gradual wear and tear. There’s no need to worry, and fortunately, you might not have to immediately turn to a doctor or a hospital for help, as a lot of these common injuries can simply be treated by using cold therapy, heat therapy, or a combination of the two.

The key to effectively treating minor aches, pains, and injuries is to know when to treat them and what method to use. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to cold and heat therapy, including which types of injuries can be treated with these therapeutic methods and which one should be used.

What is Cold Therapy?

Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is the therapeutic process of applying cold temperatures to the body or specific locations of a body that needs treatment. Historically, cold therapy has been used through submersion into cold water or the application of ice, but more advanced versions of this therapy now exist using medical equipment that applies cold water into a specially designed sleeve. Cold therapy machines effectively provide cold therapy and even compression which is helpful in the R.I.C.E method of recovery (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

Cold therapy has several direct benefits for treating pain and injuries including:

• Medication-free pain relief
• Reduced swelling
• Reduced bleeding or bruising
• Reduced muscle spasm

What is Heat Therapy?

Heat therapy, also known as thermotherapy, is the exact opposite of cold therapy. Heat therapy works by applying heat to the body or a specific part of the body in order to treat pain or damaged muscles, joints, and tissues. Heat therapy works by improving circulation and blood flow, and in turn, the increased blood flow helps to deliver red blood cells, platelets, and other nutrients where the body needs it most.

The benefits of heat therapy include:

• Speeds up the healing process
• Reduces stiffness
• Increases range of motion
• Medication-free pain relief

Treatable Aches, Pains, and Soft Tissue Injuries

Aches, pain, and soft tissue injuries can arise from a variety of different events. The following conditions are treatable through cold and heat therapy:

Sprains

A sprain is a common sports injury that occurs in the wrists, knees, and ankles, but it can easily happen outside of sports as well. Throughout the human body, tissues known as ligaments support joints by connecting bones to other bones. A sprain is the result of the tearing or stretching of one of these ligaments too far. Common sprain symptoms include swelling, pain, discomfort, and difficulty moving the affected joint or limb.

Strains

While ligaments connect bones to other bones, tendons attach muscles to bones throughout the body. Overexerting a muscle or stretching a tendon or muscle too far can result in a strain. Muscle strains involving the lower back, legs, and shoulders are common. Typical symptoms of strains include pain, general stiffness, weakness, swelling, muscular spasms, and difficulty moving the affected area.

Cramps

Cramps are an injury or condition similar to that of strains. The exact cause of cramps is unknown but risk factors may include poor physical condition, mineral and electrolyte imbalances, and tight, inflexible muscles. It may also be caused by working a muscle too hard, straining a muscle, listing body fluids through sweat, or simply holding a position for too long. When leg cramps happen, a muscle will tighten and cause a sudden pain that can make it difficult to move, lasting a few seconds to 10 minutes.

Stiffness

Muscle stiffness is the sensation of tight, cramped or painful muscles. You've likely experienced muscle stiffness at some point in your life. Sleeping in an awkward position, exercising too hard or sitting at a computer all day can all lead to sore, tight muscles.

Swelling

Swelling is any abnormal enlargement of a body part. It is typically the result of inflammation or a buildup of fluid. Edema describes swelling in the tissue outside of the joint. Effusion describes swelling that is inside a joint, such as a swollen ankle or knee.

Bruising

Bruises occur when blood vessels break, due to some kind of force, and leak blood into areas under the skin. The main symptoms of a bruise are pain, swelling, and skin discoloration. A bruise begins as a pinkish, red color that can be very tender to the touch.

How to Incorporate Cold and Heat Therapy Post-Injury

Knowing how and when to use cold or heat therapy can shorten recovery time and help with chronic aches, pains, stiffness, and more. As a general rule of thumb, cold therapy is more suitable for treating recent musculoskeletal injuries, such as sprains and strains in the initial day or two after the injury, whereas heat therapy is typically better for treating chronic conditions.

Cold Therapy

The RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is useful immediately following a sprain or strain and can also help with swelling or sharp pain following rigorous activity or exercise. As an example, cold therapy should be used for the first 72 hours after an injury before transitioning to heat therapy. Cold therapy is typically used for shorter periods of time than heat therapy. Effective cold therapy involves multiple daily treatments, up to 20 minutes at a time. Remember, icing a sprained ankle, strain, or any injury for longer than 20 minutes at a time is not recommended. While sprains and strains will benefit immediately after the injury, bruising and swelling can also be treated by cold therapy.

Some individuals may need just a single daily treatment while more severe sprains and strains may require multiple daily ice therapy applications. To prevent skin burns, individuals should place a layer of material between the skin and the ice pack or cold therapy product. Wrapping an ice pack or bag of ice in a towel to prevent direct contact with the skin generally does the trick. However, using a cold therapy machine is the most effective way to incorporate cold therapy after an injury.

Heat Therapy

There are many products on the market that penetrate deep tissues for effective heat treatment; however, depending on the condition, dry heat or moist heat may be more appropriate. A heating pad is an example of a dry heat source, whereas a warm bath is a popular moist heat therapy. Research has shown that moist heat may be superior to dry heat when it comes to penetrating deeper tissues, and there are several advanced moist heat therapy pads and devices available.

After about 72 hours after a musculoskeletal injury, patients should begin transitioning from cold therapy to longer-term use of heat therapy. Minor aches and pains can benefit from shirt applications of heat therapy of 15 to 20 minutes, but more chronic and serious injuries can benefit from heat therapy for up to 10 hours (such as when sleeping). Cramps, stiffness, and other musculoskeletal pain can benefit from heat therapy, while strains and sprains will benefit after the first 72 hours of the injury has passed.

Consult With Cold and Heat Therapy Experts

Cold and heat therapy are both superior methods of injury recovery and pain relief. When incorporated the correct way in accordance with the recovery time and type of injury, pain can be significantly reduced and the recovery time shortened. If you have questions before starting cold and heat therapy or if you want to learn more about what cold and heat therapy equipment might be available to you, contact the cold and heat therapy experts at the medcom group today!