Icing and heating instructions
When to Ice?
- Icing is used to decrease inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain in the first 48-72 hours of an injury or the start of a new pain. Feel free to bundle up in a blanket. You are more than welcome to take a warm/hot shower, but avoid letting the water continually hit the area of chief complaint
When to use heat?
- Moist heat, including hot water bottles, steam towels, hot baths, showers, or heating packs increase blood circulation to soothe and relax sore muscles, joints and ligaments.
- Use heat after the 72 hr (3 day) initial period.
How long?
- There are a lot of different recommendations out there for icing and heating, most of which are within therapy standards. We try to keep it as simple as possible.
- Every 2 hours, ice/heat for 15-20 minutes
