In the moments when you are trying to cope with an acute injury or struggling to soothe chronic pain, many family and friends give you advice to put ice on to make the pain go away or put a warm towel on to relax you. However, the eternal question is: When do I put ice and when do I put heat? In this article, we will try to explain how both processes impact and how to make a judgment on what your body needs in a particular case.
Какъв е ефекта върху тялото при прилагането на топлина и какъв при прилагането на лед?Ice and heat act by the same mechanism, which changes the blood flow in the affected area, but in opposite ways:
That's why when you are wondering what to choose, whether hot or cold, you just have to decide what you need-more blood flow or less blood flow to the area.
Как разбереш кога, засегнатата зона се нуждае от повече или по-малко кръв?In general, every new injury be it a sprain, strain, tear is always accompanied by some inflammatory process. Inflammation is a normal response by the body, whose immune system is trying to cope with the damage that has occurred. Symptoms of the inflammatory process are associated with redness, swelling and warming at the site n the injury, accompanied by pain of varying severity. In these cases, reducing the blood flow to the affected area will reduce the collection of fluids (fluids), thereby helping to reduce the swelling and inflammation. Therefore, when the presence of any inflammatory process is suspected, the most adequate response would be the application of ice to the affected area. Ice also temporarily dulls sensitivity in the surrounding nerves, which also helps to reduce pain.
When to use heat? In all cases where you have tight muscles, stiff joints and old injuries, the increased blood flow helps to manage the pain. Blood is rich in oxygen and various nutrients that help tissue repair. In this sense, when you have tight (hypertonic) muscles, increasing blood flow to those muscles will help them relax and get better nutrition. In cases where you have the presence of an old injury, the tissues that have been affected, in the process of regeneration, form scar tissue (cicatrix) in the form of the accumulation and coalescence of a greater amount of inelastic tissue, which can limit to some extent the mobility of these tissues in relation to the surrounding and thus impair the function of the affected area. In these cases, the application of heat is appropriate, as it may cause these adhesions to rupture slightly. Also, in cases where there is stiffness in the joints, the application of heat may help to make the movement less painful.
Hint: the thermal procedure can be reaped with the application of warm towels, or gel bags that are heated, electric blankets. Warm baths, sauna, etc. can also be used to coat a larger area.
Колко често и за колко дълго?In the presence of new trauma, it is better to apply ice in the first 72 hours after the trauma.. can be applied for 5-10-20 min, and it is necessary at least 3 times a day. During the first 24 hours ice is good to put on for a few minutes every hour. Be sure to put some kind of towel or piece of cloth over the skin before putting the ice to avoid cold injury to the skin.
The heat should be kept on for at least 15 minutes, but can be used longer up to 30 minutes. When using gel warming bags, it is again a good idea to put a towel or piece of cloth between the bag and the skin.
If you happen to get confused about which to apply when, don't worry! If heat is applied in the presence of an inflammatory process, the increased blood flow can lead to an increase in swelling, which can also lead to an increase in pain, thus slowing the passage of inflammation. On the other hand, if you have tight muscles, they are in a position of constant contraction and not enough blood is reaching them, in which case if you apply ice, the response of the muscle may be associated with even more tightness and stiffness.
As accessible and easy as these two methods of dealing with pain are, remember that they only dull pain, not cure it. It is important to pay attention to the source causing your complaints and seek help from the appropriate specialists if needed.
