Catalina Medical Center: Blog

The staff of Catalina Medical Center helps patients rehabilitate from all kinds of injuries.  The method of icing an injury, called cryotherapy, is known to provide cooling relief and help numb painful soft tissue injuries. Applying ice safely by using an ice pack or cold compress is an excellent way to treat muscle spasms and injuries like sprains and strains.  If icing an injury does not provide relief or your pain worsens, contact us for help. After an injury, affected soft tissue will be inflamed and icing the area reduces inflammation and pain, as well as cools the skin to constrict blood vessels and heal the area.  The healing effects of ice pack therapy can also be helpful after a flare-up in chronic pain like in the back or knee, and is a cheap option or at-home relief. Cryotherapy is an effective way to manage pain at home without medication, and we also provide custom cryotherapy in the office. To learn more about cryotherapy and all the services provided at the practice, vi...

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 chiropracti...