Cooling and/or heating painful conditions of muscles and joints

Almost all of us will, at some point in our lives, strain or irritate a muscle or joint in our bodies. The resulting pain and discomfort can have a major impact on daily life. Is it better to cool or heat the painful area to relieve the pain?

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?

Inflammation and pain are natural reactions of the body to an injury. As painful as it may be, swollen and inflamed tissue contains healing components that your body uses to “repair” itself after an injury. When an area of your body is inflamed, fluid and/or irritation cause pressure in that area. This pressure causes pain. A good example is an ankle sprain. The ankle swells when sprained because the body initiates an inflammatory process (trying to self-heal), thereby increasing fluid in the injured area. Inflammation can also result from irritation in tissue, such as a hangnail. Depending on the nature and severity of the injury, inflammation in orthopedics is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, elevation of the injury (lifting the injured part), massage, cortisone injections, compression, and rest.

DOES HEATING WORSEN INFLAMMATION?

In most cases, cooling (cryotherapy) is more effective for treating pain and inflammation than heating (thermotherapy). Although heating initially feels warm and pleasant, cooling ultimately helps reduce pain and inflammation more effectively.

ON THE APPLICATION OF COOLING

Cooling constricts blood vessels, preventing the body from allowing inflammation in the cooled area. Heat, on the other hand, dilates blood vessels, allowing inflammation to develop in the injured or painful area. As a general rule, cooling should be used if you’ve recently injured an area or have had surgery or a procedure.

Medical studies agree that 20 minutes of cooling is most effective. You should cool the painful area with a cold compress or an ice pack with a temperature close to melting ice. Some people are sensitive to cold, and ice may cause “burns” on the skin. If you fall into this group, it’s best to put a thin towel or another fabric between the ice and skin to avoid skin damage. More than 20 minutes of cooling can cause reactive vasodilation, or blood vessel dilation, as the body tries to ensure that the tissue receives the necessary blood supply.

Studies have also shown that 30 to 40 minutes between cooling sessions prevents this reaction. Recommended cooling time is 20 minutes, with at least a 30-minute break. Although many articles and studies suggest using heating for injuries and painful conditions lasting longer than six weeks, this is not necessarily the case. For example, for conditions like chronic tendonitis and osteoarthritis, the body believes it can heal worn or injured areas, continuing to go through cycles of increased inflammation even if it cannot self-heal. Cooling for 20 minutes several times a day can be as effective, if not better, than oral medications and injections. Controlling inflammation often reduces symptoms, improves conditions, and reduces pain.

ON THE APPLICATION OF HEATING

Heating also has its role. Heating works best on larger muscle groups. For example, heat helps relieve muscle spasms in the back—as long as the spasms are not caused by a new fall or injury. Warm compresses work best when used for 15 minutes at a time, followed by at least a 30-minute break.

REMEMBER:

If an injury has occurred to any part of the body, cooling is preferred for up to three days after the injury—20 minutes at a time with a 30 to 40-minute break. Back pain, neck pain, and large muscle groups such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves will respond well to heat after three days post-injury. Use cooling for pain in knee joints, elbows, shoulders, wrist, ankle…

COOLING OR HEATING – WHAT SHOULD YOU USE AND WHEN?

Keep the therapy localized! Don’t cool or heat large body areas if the focus is only on one joint or part of the body. For instance, a full-body ice bath should not be used for treating an ankle sprain. The body cannot withstand vasodilation or reduced blood flow over such a large area. This treatment won’t help the injured body part, so don’t waste time in a cold bath.

COOLING AND HEATING

For a more advanced treatment, use both cooling and heating. To achieve satisfactory therapeutic results, you must do it in a very specific way. The key is to cool for 20 minutes, causing blood vessel constriction, then heat for 15 minutes, causing blood vessel dilation. This works as a pump mechanism for inflammation, pushing it away from the injured and painful area. The most important thing is to end the cycle with cooling (unless treating, for example, chronic back spasms). By finishing therapy with cooling, blood vessels will constrict, preventing inflammation from re-entering the painful area.

Heating and cooling can be used on all injuries or painful areas at any time and can provide significant pain relief. Ice is definitely not as comfortable as heat and may sting or burn for the first five to seven minutes of a 20-minute session, but when used correctly, it can greatly help with most musculoskeletal pains.

Bioenergy is an excellent choice for treating such conditions since bioenergetic treatments combined with cooling/heating, kinesio taping, and therapy using Theragun Pro, the world’s most advanced massage gun, give the best results for various sports injuries or painful joints caused by types of arthritis, gout, or other painful conditions.