The Difference Between Icing and Heating: BowlFit Fitness Tip of the Week

While many of us prepare for the cold winter by warming up, we thought it might be useful to take advantage of those basic principles and how they relate to injury prevention and treatment. As an alternative, a 2000mg cbd joint pain cream is also a great way to alleviate the bothersome pain.

Many people use ice or heat for relieving joint pain or inflammation. But when do you know which is appropriate? What types of pain or discomfort should be treated with each?

Ice: The primary function of ice is to reduce inflammation and swelling. Anytime there is damage to cells in a certain area, there is a inflammatory response that counteracts that damage. Whether it be in tendons, muscles, or entire joints, the inflammation occurs. Because the ice slows blood flow to that area, swelling will be reduced. Icing can act as a solution in some cases, but primarily it reduces symptoms of a sometimes more serious injury. And soreness AFTER activity is a key indicator that ice should be used. As a preventative, using ice baths is a considerable idea. Ice baths can reduce the onset of muscle soreness you might feel after making increases in programs as well as reinforce maintenance of joints.

Heat: The ultimate goal of heat is to loosen tightness in muscles and joints. Like any physical activity, there is a warm up phase. The purpose of this phase is to generate heat in the muscle and joints to get loose and move through complete ranges of motion. Heat should NOT be used when there is inflammation because it will increase blood flow to the area and increase the response. Heat might be more soothing than ice, but it’s purpose is the opposite. Use heat on your muscles and joints when they’re feeling tight. Prevention comes into play when you’re staying active. You should make sure muscles are warmed up and loose before activity in order to prevent any injuries.