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Rapid intervention in the event of certain injuries soothes the pain which may be generated and speeds up the healing process. The benefits of cold and heat applied to painful areas have been recognized and taken advantage of for centuries, all over the world. It is, however, not obvious which thermal source to use under which circumstance.
For this reason SACSANTE INC. offers you some practical tips on the use of these two thermal sources.
Please note that the following information comes from the brochure entitled "SOS Pain, Ice or Heat", from the Groupe d'intérêt en orthopédie de l'Ordre des Physiothérapeutes du Québec, to whom we are extremely grateful.
Why use heat or cold?
It is important to act quickly in the event of an injury because inflammation (a defense
mechanism of the human body) develops very rapidly and can delay the healing process
if it is not controlled quickly.
During the acute phase, the first phase, inflammation develops. Depending on the
seriousness of the injury, this phase can last between 48 hours and a week and
sometimes even longer.
If you find yourself in one or more of the following situations:
- you are experiencing pain which persists or tends to worsen;
- you have a serious loss of mobility;
- your sleep is hindered and/or rest and immobilisation do not correct the situation;
then you are dealing with a persistent inflammation.
During this phase, it is recommended you use cold.
Applying heat in this situation can worsen the inflammation and we strongly advise against doing so.
In the following phase, the chronic phase, the body starts to repair damaged tissues.
By this time the inflammation should be gone. The different applications of heat are now useful.
It is possible to continue the use of cold during this period, decreasing the frequency
of the applications, especially if a stubborn pain persist.
Effects
The application of cold or heat has an effect on the circulation and on the pain receptors in the skin. The use of one or the other of these two thermal sources brings on different reactions in the body. Her are some of the effects:
Heat:
- increases the circulation, thus facilitating the healing of damaged tissues;
- increases cellular activity;
- relaxes muscles;
- favours the elasticity of tissues;
- can reduce pain.
Cold*:
- reduces inflammation;
- reduces the risk of internal bleeding;
- reduces pain;
- aids in slowing down cellular activity in order to reduce waste and bacteria production due to inflammation;
- brings on temporary stiffness.
* The word cold as used here refers to any SACSANTE INC.'s product coming from the freezer.
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