Ah, the age-old question.
Your back’s flared up, your neck’s stiff, or you’ve pulled something — and now you’re standing in the kitchen wondering:
“Heat or ice?”
Let’s clear it up once and for all.
First: What Are You Trying to Do?
Before you reach for anything, ask yourself:
Do I want to calm it down? Or loosen it up?
That will tell you which one to grab.
🧊 Use Ice When:
- You’ve got a new injury
- There’s swelling or inflammation
- Something feels hot, sharp, or throbbing
- You want to numb pain and calm it down
Ice is for acute injuries — the first 24–72 hours.
It helps slow blood flow, reduce inflammation, and dull the pain.
Think: sprained ankle, fresh muscle strain, sharp lower back spasm.
How to use it:
10–15 minutes max.
Wrap it in a towel — never straight on skin.
Let the area return to normal temperature before icing again.
🔥 Use Heat When:
- The pain is dull, stiff, or achy
- You’re feeling tight, sore, or stuck
- The injury is older, chronic, or not inflamed
- You want to relax muscles and loosen things up
Heat is for chronic tension — or when you want to improve circulation and calm things down long-term.
Think: stiff neck after a long day, chronic low back tightness, general muscle soreness.
How to use it:
15–20 minutes with a hot water bottle, wheat bag, or warm towel.
Don’t fall asleep with it on. And don’t use heat if there’s swelling — it can make things worse.
What About Alternating?
Some people swear by switching between the two — known as contrast therapy.
It can be useful for certain injuries, especially in rehab stages.
But if you’re not sure, stick with one based on how it feels.
If heat makes it worse, stop. If ice doesn’t help, switch.
Your body will usually tell you what it wants.
One isn’t better than the other — they just do different things.
Still not sure what you need?
If the pain keeps coming back or doesn’t improve, it’s probably time to stop treating the symptoms and find out what’s actually causing them.
We can help with that.
