Injury Treatment: Ice vs. Heat

Knowing the proper steps to take after experiencing an injury can make all the difference during your healing time. As a general rule of thumb, one should use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling and use heat for muscle pain or stiffness. Allow our doctors at Catalina Medical Center to explain why.


Cold therapy (cryotherapy) and warm compresses (thermotherapy) are common self-treatment options for many painful problems. Cold therapy alleviates damaged tissues that are inflamed and swollen. Therefore, ice should be used if an injury occurs around a joint or a tendon. This is because it reduces blood flow to a particular area, which can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling that causes pain. Heat therapy should be used for muscle tension, chronic pain, and stress. If hot or cold therapy doesn’t help the injury you’ve sustained, you’ll need to discuss treatment options with one of our doctors.


If you have questions or concerns regarding chiropractic care or injury treatment, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.catalinamedical.com for more information. To schedule, an appointment with one of our doctors at Catalina Medical Center in Redondo Beach CA call 310-378-7246.

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