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Heat or Ice for my Injury? 6 Simple Rules to Follow

August 26, 2018MarianaUncategorized

Should I use heat or ice for my injury? 6 Simple Rules to follow

As physiotherapists, we get this question all the time. Which to use, heat or ice for an injury? The answer depends on the injury and how recent it is. Here are 6 simple rules to follow:

 

  1. Use Ice as first aid: immediately after an injury to reduce swelling and inflammation and bruising. (ie. Ankle sprain or any joint sprain). Use ice for 3 to 5 days following the injury. Moist cold will penetrate better than dry cold. Tip: soak a pillow case in cold water, ring it out and wrap the ice pack in it and apply.

 

  1. Use ice to reduce pain and swelling after recent surgery (ie. Joint replacement, ACL reconstruction, Rotator cuff surgery)
  2. Use ice if you need to move or put weight on the affected body part. Icing it first can often help to keep it functional until you’re able to get to a safe place to rest the affected area
  3. Use heat to manage persistent or intermittent pain and stiffness or older injuries
  4. Use heat to improve muscle elasticity and flexibility in elderly population (ie. Prior to stretching and exercise)
  5. Avoid heat on new inflammation (ie. Recent injury) because there is already heat there.

 

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How long should I ice for?

Generally, you want to ice between 10 to 15 minutes and then rest 40-60 minutes in between. This length of time will numb the nerve endings and provide pain relief.

 

How long should I use heat for?

Heat can be used for up to 30 minutes.

 

The grey area
For neck pain or lower back pain experienced without injury or chronic arthritic conditions. In these cases, you can use either one. For people that suffer from ‘text neck’, tension headaches or migraines, putting ice on the back of the neck and base of the skull is indeed beneficial because it numbs the nerve and the pain. Heat or ice can be used for a sore lower back, depends on personal preference. Both modalities work on the pain-gating system of the brain meaning that a non-painful stimulus (like heat or cold) will block the painful stimulus from travelling to the central nervous system (the brain) and voila, pain relief!

Precautions with heat and ice
Make sure to check the skin to avoid burns and skin irritation with either modality. If you are laying down on the heat, ensure that you have enough layers protecting your skin.

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mechphysio

Yep, another day and another cervical shift. 😩 Yep, another day and another cervical shift. 😩
8/10 pain and tingling running down the arms and an inability to turn the neck. It’s just awful 😔 

We have seen so many of these cases this year, specifically since April 2020 when people started working from home or just being at home jobless 😭😭😭

🤲We are here to help you through this painful time. 
🤲We are here to promote wellness and well being to get you through this unprecedented time. 

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Keeping you safe while helping you feel better.
✅ Sanitize
✅ Wipe Down
✅ Social Distance 
✅ Screening
✅ Masks 

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One more day and that’s a wrap! ✨ 🥰Here we One more day and that’s a wrap! ✨

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✨Even though we were closed for 3 months this year, we still managed to stick around, re-open, and safely provide Physio and rehab services to the community as well as provide an educational environment for Physiotherapy candidates.

✨Our team will always remember this year - the COVID year- where team work, determination and optimism were the driving forces to our survival as a health clinic in the middle of a pandemic. 

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This picture is worth a thousand words. ✅ A det This picture is worth a thousand words.

✅ A determined man 
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💕As adorable as this picture is of a new grandm 💕As adorable as this picture is of a new grandma and her granddaughter 👶 we can’t help but notice the not-so-great posture that is often assumed when holding a newborn in cradle hold 🙄

👉 This asymmetric posture of the shoulders and upper back with the additional load of a 6-10 lb bundle of joy can lead to neck and shoulder pain really fast! 

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Or teach grandma some baby holding #ergonomics :

✅ Sit in a supportive chair (not the couch) 
✅ Use a pillow or lumbar support behind your lower back
✅ Arch your upper back (push chest out)
✅ Hold baby evenly levelled on both arms
✅ Have both feet flat on the floor 
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✅ Hold baby on a pillow in your lap 

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It’s easy to develop a sweet tooth at @mechphysi It’s easy to develop a sweet tooth at @mechphysio .... especially around the holidays. ✨🍬 🌲🍭🌲 🍫 

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🎅 Poinsettias, Halloween Candy and Sanitizer!!! 🎅 Poinsettias, Halloween Candy and Sanitizer!!! 

Alright alright alright!!! 

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ANYBODY GOT AN EXERCISE BAND?!?! ⚡️This is t ANYBODY GOT AN EXERCISE BAND?!?! 

⚡️This is the simplest and best exercise to do for your forearms if you work:

✅ On a Laptop
✅ As a Cashier 
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✅ As a Hair Stylist 

💪Strengthening your Tricep and forearm grip will prevent the painful and nagging condition that often plagues the professions above- #tenniselbow 

💥Repetitive strain on the forearm is very common and over the years will lead to carpal tunnel, tendinitis, tennis elbow, golfers elbow. For some it will be a gradual onset and for others will be from day to the next.

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Can we please call her the Fall Prevention Whisper Can we please call her the Fall Prevention Whisperer?! @classicsab 

🏅 Our all-star Athletic Therapist Sabrina has a special way with all our older clients that are looking to revitalize and rejuvenate their bodies!
🏅What does it take to be a #fallprevention whisper?? 

✅ Motivational Attitude
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As a private One-on-One clinic in York Region, our As a private One-on-One clinic in York Region, our doors are still open. 

Our health care practitioners will continue providing essential services to the community while adhering to infection control policies. 

#physiotherapy #athletictherapy #massagetherapy #workfromhome #qualityoflife #essentialservices #thornhill #vaughan #richmondhill #markham #yorkregion
The strongest hands in town!💪💪 To be an effe The strongest hands in town!💪💪
To be an effective manual therapist you need to have not only strength but precision. You want to direct the force exactly where the patient needs it to get BEST results! 

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🏅A BIG shoutout to our stellar Athletic Therapi 🏅A BIG shoutout to our stellar Athletic Therapist @classicsab for keeping us all on our toes when it comes to clinic #safety in times of #covid_19 . 🏅

💪Working with our most vulnerable population of patients over 65, Sabrina provides a comfortable and safe environment to keep our elderly patients #active , #painfree and #confident all while maintaining impeccable infection control protocols 😊😊😊

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