Chiropractic Corner
When treating pain, it is important to do what you can at home. While the treatment you receive from your chiropractor or therapist is very important, it is the at-home care that makes your treatment the most effective. This may consist of stretching and exercises, compression, diet and nutrition or, in many instances, using heat or ice. While each can be beneficial, it is important to use the right one at the right time. Otherwise, you may make the problem worse. Generally speaking, heat helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles, whereas cold helps numb sharp pain and reduce inflammation. Both are simple, affordable and help decrease pain but need to be used corr ectly.
For a new injury, such as a strain or sprain, turned ankle or whiplash, cold is best. The cold will help to push inflammation out of the area as well as numb it. In this case, heat can actually increase inflammation. While heat may feel good on an injury, it can result in more pain later. Ice, or more precisely, cold, can be applied in different forms. A gel pack is the most common, but a simple bag of ice with a little water added or a frozen bag of peas or corn can work just as well. Be sure to have a towel or cloth layer between the ice and skin, otherwise it can be too cold and cause damage to the skin. Wrapping the ice pack in a pillowcase also works well. Apply ice for up to 15 minutes but no more. Any longer can cause an increase in inflammation and make the pain worse in the next 12-24 hours, just as heat would have done. The ice can be repeated several times a day but be sure the skin has returned to its normal color and temperature before reapplying ice – 20-30 minutes is a good rule of thumb.
Heat is better used on common aches and pains that are not the result of a recent injury. Sore muscles and aches can be soothed with heat. Injuries that are over four days old can also benefit from heat. In the case of injuries that are several days old, I recommend alternating ice and heat, always ending with ice. Again, apply ice for only 15 minutes. It’s normal for your skin to look a little pink after using cold or heat, but be sure not to overdo it. If you see any of the following signs, call your doctor: purplish-red, dark-red or spotty red and white color, hives or swelling and/or blisters. These are signs the temperature was too extreme and may indicate skin damage.
