How long ice injury

Ice cryotherapy beats heat thermotherapy for treating pain and inflammation in most circumstances. Although heat initially feels warm and cozy, ice helps decrease pain and inflammation in the long run. Ice constricts, or narrows, blood vessels. Constricting blood vessels inhibits the body from allowing inflammation in the iced area. Heat dilates, or widens blood vessels, allowing more inflammation to flow to an injured or painful area. As a general rule of thumb, ice should be used if you have recently injured an area or had surgery or a procedure.

Medical studies agree that 20 minutes of icing is most effective. You should ice with a cold compress or ice pack that is the temperature of a melting ice cube. Some people have cold allergies, which cause ice to burn the skin. Put at least a thin towel between the ice and skin to avoid burned skin. Greater than 20 minutes of icing can cause reactive vasodilation, or widening, of the vessels as the body tries to make sure the tissues get the blood supply they need.

Studies have also shown 30 to 40 minutes in between icing sessions are needed to counter this reaction. The suggested time for icing is 20 minutes on and at least 30 minutes off. Although many articles and studies may say that heat should be used for injuries and pain that have lingered for longer than six weeks, this is not necessarily the case. For conditions such as chronic tendonitis and osteoarthritis, the body thinks that it can heal the worn or injured area.

The body continues to go through a cycle of increased inflammation even though it cannot heal these conditions on its own. Icing for 20 minutes several times a day can work as well as, if not better than, oral medications and injections. By controlling inflammation, symptoms often resolve or improve and pain subsides. Heat does have its role. Heat works best in larger muscle groups.

As an example, heat helps to ease back muscle spasms — as long as the spasms are not caused by a new fall or injury. Moist heat or heat pads work best when used for 15 minutes on at a time and at least 30 minutes off.

Do not apply ice or heat to large areas of the body if only one joint or body part is the focus. As an example, a full-body ice bath should not be used to treat an ankle sprain. The body cannot sustain the vasodilation, or decrease of blood flow, to such a large area. This type of treatment will not help the injured body part, so do not waste your time in a really cold bath.

As a more advanced treatment, use ice AND heat. To achieve therapeutic results, you must do this in a very specific way. The key is to ice for 20 minutes, causing the vessels to narrow, and then heat for 15 minutes, causing the vessels to dilate. This acts as a pumping mechanism to the inflammation, pushing it away from the injured area. How long does hip replacement surgery take? Medical City Dallas.

Traditional total hip replacement surgery takes about an hour and a half or so. However, with roboti Who is a candidate for joint replacement surgery? William A. Leone, MD. Although age is important for joint replacement surgery, it is not the most critical factor when det What does shoulder replacement treat? There is no long-term timeline for icing. If desired, the volleyball player mentioned earlier could ice the injured ankle after every practice and game to alleviate potential soreness.

Icing isn't limited to an ice pack or frozen bag of peas. Different types of ice treatment will cater to different types of pain, including:. Heat treatment is never done for a sudden injury, such as a collision on the court or a bike crash. Heat is typically used during the recovery process. Heating the injury immediately after it happens may cause further damage. Heating a sore or injured muscle increases blood flow and metabolic activity which leads to a loosening of muscle tissue. Warming an injured area relaxes stiffness and relieves pain in aching joints, such as those affected by arthritis.

Regularly heating before a practice or game can also help with avoiding stiffness as warm-ups transition into performance. This will also loosen up the muscles to avoid injury or soreness. For example, heating a shoulder prior to and while pitching in a baseball game may help contribute to a longer time spent on the mound. Heating pads are the most common form of heat treatment, but there are a few methods you can use depending on what kind of heat you need.