Ice Pack or Heat: What Should I Use?

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 6 September 2017

Are you confused as to when to use Ice Pack and when to use Heat to deal with pain, injury and inflammation? This infographic below sums it up quite simply.

According to Dr. Bhuvaneswari, a quick guideline to follow is: 

Ice pack is preferred if it is a recent and acute pain episode especially injury which may be a blood clot, muscle tear or tendon tear.  For instance most sport and exercse injuries. 

Heat or warmth for Chronic pain with stiffness, especially joint related pain as in Arthritis.

And watch out for Paraffin wax treatments. They can cause burns as well.
 

 

For the options of heat and ice packs and other tips, refer to the full article at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/08/should-you-use-ice-or-heat-for-pain-infographic/amp/

 

 

Changed
02/Nov/2017
Community
Neurological Conditions
Muscle, Bone and Joint (earlier named Arthritis)
Condition
Arthritis
Migraine

Stories

  • Causes of Sciatica Pain and Prevention Tips
    Sciatica pain can cause extreme distress. This is a quick analysis of what causes it and 6 tips on how we can try and prevent it. Sciatica Sciatica pain is the pain and tingling caused by the sciatica nerve. It is usually felt as an intense pain in the leg and the pain travels all the way down from the spine. Sciatica is not a condition but a symptom itself that can have various underlying reasons. Causes of Sciatica pain: Injury or trauma: Direct injury to the spinal column can cause nerve…
  • Hypnosis for Pain Relief and Anxiety Management
    Worldwide, medical hypnosis is being increasingly accepted to ease acute and chronic pain arising from burns, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis and reduction of anxiety associated with surgery. What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a state of increased suggestibility with constriction of peripheral awareness and increased focal concentration on task at hand. Heightened suggestibility is an essential characteristic in hypnosis. Hypnosis is like a meditative technique that encourages inner search and the…
  • Kathak Dance aids mobility of Parkinson’s and Arthritis patients
    Vonita Singh from Dubai is a trained Kathak dancer who, through her unique initiative Movement Mantra, addresses the basic concerns of Parkinson’s Disease like balance, flexibility and coordination with rhythm and music. Vonita also pulls in caregivers for her programmes, making it holistic, with end results being therapeutic. Taking on disorders like Parkinson’s Disease and Arthritis is a formidable task, especially when you are neither a therapist nor a medical person. What gave you the…
  • Household Tips to Ease Arthritis
    Dr S M Akerkar, Consulting Rheumatologist, offers some useful tips for people with arthritis to get work done at home the easier way and to minimize the load on the joints. This is the second of the 2-part series. In the first part we read useful day to day tips on arranging the kitchen to make it easier for people with arthritis to continue to function.  How to arrange your kitchen if you have arthritis? Use shelves with 'easy to remove' features. Drawers mounted on rollers put less…
  • Make your Kitchen Arthritis-Friendly
    Cooking can be a strenuous task for someone with arthritis and other muscle/joint disorders. But you don't have to give up cooking. Here are a few useful day to day tips to minimize the load on the joints and maximize what one can achieve in the kitchen, advises Dr S M Akerkar, Consulting Rheumatologist. This is the first of a 2-part series. The second part addresses the issue with visuals and examples. Your home and kitchen are supposed to be your most comfortable and familiar place in the…
  • A person at the gym lifting weight while looking at the mirror
    Perils of Body Weight Going Up and Down Rapidly
    When actors go through phases of rapid weight gain to rapid weight loss in preparation for film roles, many eyebrows are often raised among health professionals. Dr Shital Raval lists out reasons why it is medically dangerous and unhealthy of such yo-yoing. Imagine going from 68 kg to 93 kg in six months and then back again to original size. Well...That’s what actor Aamir Khan did recently oscillating from rapid weight gain to rapid weight loss. While Khan’s bulging - thinning programme…
  • Am I a Good Candidate for Hip or Knee Replacement?
    Who should have a Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery and what are the alternatives available? Dr Shital Raval suggests factors to help you make a decision.  Let us evaluate the various options available and the factors to consider. Arthroplasty Total hip replacement surgery is also known as Total Hip Arthroplasty while a knee replacement surgery is called Knee Arthroplasty (can be partial or total). Both are common and effective procedures for hip and knee arthritis. These are elective…
  • Where Being Different Is Unaccepted
    “Prejudice is the child of ignorance.” ― William Hazlitt ― In a diverse and informed society like Singapore, it remains not completely uncommon to hear of instances of discrimination. While it is understandable to fear or even condemn something that is strange or new to us, we should be reminded that understanding breeds tolerance and empathy. A Gift of Life Mr S, is a dialysis patient at the San Wang Wu Ti-KDF Centre at Kreta Ayer, and he has been dialysising there for slightly over a year. He…
  • Assistance Dogs Help People See Past The Disability
    Says Shirin Merchant, India’s pioneering canine behaviourist and trainer, while talking about assistance dogs, a relatively new concept in India, where dogs are specially trained to perform a range of tasks to assist individuals with disability. How and when did you become a canine behaviourist and trainer? My journey as a dog trainer and behaviourist started in 1995. What is an assistance dog and what is it trained to do? It is very difficult for an able-bodied person to imagine the…
  • Yoga for Arthritis E-Book Volume 1 - Lower Body
    Suffering from Arthritis? Stiffness in hips and knees? Stiff toes or stiff ankles? How can you ease the stiffness in your joints? Yoga is very effective in managing arthritis. It reduces pain, increases flexibility, and lowers stress.  It brings harmony to body and mind. We have worked with Divyayog to create a set of asanas for you to do in the comfort of your own home. Volume 1 is specifically focussed on the lower body - from hip to toe.  Please remember: Do not do these…