Heat vs. Ice
This is largely a reminder for myself, although I thought I would post it since a lot of you seem to get bruised and injured often.
Use HEAT for
-Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a tough workout
-Muscle stiffness, muscle spasms and muscle knots
-Stress relief
-Spains or strains more than four days old
-Bruises
Use ICE for
-Acute sprains or strains less than three days old
-Inflammation around joint or muscle tissue
-Restricted motion due to pain
-Headaches and toothaches
-Bringing a fever down
With heat, your blood vessels dilate so warm blood leaves the area and cool blood shows up. Heat promotes increased blood flow. With cold, the opposite happens; you get vasoconstriction and less blood arrives at the site.
Use HEAT for
-Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a tough workout
-Muscle stiffness, muscle spasms and muscle knots
-Stress relief
-Spains or strains more than four days old
-Bruises
Use ICE for
-Acute sprains or strains less than three days old
-Inflammation around joint or muscle tissue
-Restricted motion due to pain
-Headaches and toothaches
-Bringing a fever down
With heat, your blood vessels dilate so warm blood leaves the area and cool blood shows up. Heat promotes increased blood flow. With cold, the opposite happens; you get vasoconstriction and less blood arrives at the site.