Heat treatment or cold treatment after an injury?
Applying a hot or cold treatment is a common method for treating injuries, swelling, and pain.
When used for fingers, hands, and wrists is helpful for:
- Recent or chronic injuries
- Swelling
- Stiffness
Benefits of a Heat Treatment
- Heat or warmth will help by speeding and increasing blood flow. Heat is helpful for stiff joints and muscles and can be useful before activities.
- We often see athletes warming up before a workout
- A warm shower or heating pad can help sore and stiff joints.
Be careful:
- Too much heat could cause swelling, or burns to skin and tissues, so use heat treatment in moderation.
Benefits of a Cold Treatment
- If there is pain or swelling after an activity, cold treatment helps. Cold slows down blood flow.
- The most common cold treatment is ice or something that has been made cold, such as a gel pack or frozen vegetables.
- Apply ice for 15 minutes every 30-45 minutes.
Be careful:
- Too much cold can stiffen sore joints, so use this treatment in moderation.
- Always wrap the source of cold in a fabric. Applying ice or cold to bare skin can cause injury of soft tissue.
- Stop using ice if you feel increase of pain or numbness due to the cold.
