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When to use ice & heat for pain relief

so the pain reduces. The muscles also relax. The inflammatory reaction is slowed down. As a result, your ankle is less swollen and painful. Ice packs are very useful in bruises, strains and joint swellings. Use them for any acute swelling, over the first 24 to 48 hours (except back strains). Ice helps later too, while exercising the limb. Our friendly medical experts can show you how to make movements less painful and more flexible by using an ice pack just before or during exercise. How to make an ice pack Wrap a plastic bag of frozen peas or ice cubes in a thick cold wet towel. Place it on the injured part. Check after a fewminutes to make sure the skin is not red, an early sign of frostbite. Generally, icing for 15 to 20minutes is enough. Repeat every 2-4 hours. Our medical experts will help use ice properly for healing and pain relief. How to use heat Heat packs, bottles or infra-red lamps can be very useful if you have a muscle spasm or 48 hours after injury. Icing a muscle spasm contracts the

muscle fibers, so they would hurt intensely. On the other hand, heat improves the circulation, soothes and relaxes the muscles by carrying away toxins and bringing in healing oxygen. Heat can comfort a back or neck strain, especially if it has been persisting for some time. When you use a heat pack, wrap it in a towel and check the temperature Don’t use heat if you have a painful, red or swollen joint. This increases circulation so that fluid collects, worsening the swelling and stretching or compressing the nerves and surrounding healthy tissue. This makes it still more painful. You’d be better off icing it. When to use neither heat nor ice Whether you use hot or cold packs, be aware that you can damage your skin and deeper tissues by careless use. Don’t use it if you have an open or infectedwound. If the circulation or sensation level is poor, as in diabetes, ice and heat could cause the skin to break down, get infected and worse. so it doesn’t burn the skin. When not to use heat

When you’ve just sprained your ankle or pulled a muscle, all you want is some pain relief. If painkillers are handy, you probably pop a couple of them. If not, you ask for some ice - or was that heat instead? To sort out this confusion, let’s see what they really do. Both ice and heat relieve pain Ice is useful when you want to reduce swelling. For example, your ankle balloons up after a sprain. This is because blood and fluid collect rapidly, making it both painful and stiff. At this point, an ice pack helps to close off those tiny vessels. The blood flow slows down. Small nerves become numb, and help recovery. How to use ice

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You Have The Right To Choose Your Provider Whether you want to come in because you’ve suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your physical health, tell your doctor about NorthEast Spine and Sports Medicine. Get started feeling better today! See our medical professionals for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Shoulder, wrist or elbow pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties www.northeastspineandsports.com

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