Cold pack or heating pad? What works best for athletic sports injuries

You are running or doing a back bend or just playing catch in your backyard and then your back clenches, your knee twangs or your ankle screams.

Most of these minor injuries from exercise can be treated at home. But, when should you apply heat and when should you use cold?

 The general rule is to use heat to loosen up muscles before exercise and cold to reduce swelling after an injury.

When to use heat

Before starting your workout, heat is a great way to warm up cold tendons and joints and inelastic muscles. Heat causes blood vessels to open up, allowing more blood into the area. This provides additional oxygen to power the muscles, and allows an athlete to get up to speed more quickly.

Pre-heating can also help you avoid injuries from exercising with cold muscles. It can be especially helpful if you're dealing with a chronic problem, like a chronic rotator cuff injury or tendonitis, because the heat loosens up stiff scar tissue.

Heat packs and heating pads are easy ways to apply heat, we recommend placing a layer of fabric between your body and the heat source to reduce the risk of burns. There is no recommended time period for applying heat -- your body should tell you when it feels warmed up and ready to go.

When to use cold

Immediately after a sports injury and in the following weeks is the best time to apply cold. To start the healing process, the immune system increases blood flow and causes inflammation. However, "the body tends to go a little bit overboard, so we get a lot of swelling and pain as a result,".

Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which restricts excess blood flow and brings down the swelling. Cold is also great for numbing pain and can help get you back to exercising sooner.

After a really intense workout or if hitting the gym for the first time in a while, we recommend that applying cold can also help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness of your sports injury.

Using our sports therapy wrap that has been in the freezer for a few hours will help reduce the swelling.

Traditional wisdom says to apply a cold pack for 20 minutes on followed by 20 minutes off. We recommend that icing periodically throughout the day, perhaps while sitting at your desk at work, is the best way to keep swelling down, especially if you can elevate the injured area.

Why does heat help with pain?

This process increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal the damaged tissue. Heat stimulates the sensory receptors in the skin, which means that applying heat to the lower back will decrease transmissions of pain signals to the brain and partially relieve the discomfort of the sports injury.

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Warm and Cold Therapy

For both these therapies it is always handy to have 2 heat packs available for immediate applications , one for warmth and the other to keep in the freezer for cold therapy applications..

How Heat Therapy Works for Sports Injuries

Many episodes of lower back muscle strain result from strains and over-exertions, creating tension in the muscles and soft tissues around the lower spine. As a result, this restricts proper circulation and sends pain signals to the brain.

Muscle spasm in the lower back can create sensations that may range from mild discomfort to excruciating lower back pain. Heat therapy can help relieve pain from the muscle spasm and related tightness and lower back  pain relief.

Using the Sports Therapy Wrap will help you relieve lower back pain and muscle tension.

Heat therapy application can help provide lower back pain relief through several mechanisms:

• Heat therapy dilates the blood vessels of the muscles surrounding the lumbar spine. This process increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal the damaged tissue.
• Heat stimulates the sensory receptors in the skin, which means that applying heat to the lower back will decrease transmissions of pain signals to the brain and partially relieve the discomfort.
• Heat application facilitates stretching the soft tissues around the spine, including muscles, connective tissue, and adhesion's. Consequently, with heat therapy, there will be a decrease in stiffness as well as injury, with an increase in flexibility and overall feeling of comfort. Flexibility is very important for a healthy back.

How cold therapy Works to Relieve Pain

Cold therapy  can help provide relief for back pain in a number of ways:

Keep a Warm Buddy heat pack in your freezer for these applications:

• Cold therapy application slows the inflammation and swelling that occurs after injury. Most back pain is accompanied by some type of inflammation, and addressing the inflammation helps reduce the pain
• Cold therapy  numbs sore tissues (providing pain relief similar to a local anesthetic)
• Cold therapy  application slows the nerve impulses in the area, which interrupts the pain-spasm reaction between the nerves
• Cold therapy  decreases tissue damage
• The massage adds the beneficial effects of gentle manipulation of the soft tissues

Cold therapy  is most effective if it is applied as soon as possible after the injury occurs, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The cold makes the veins in the tissues contract, reducing circulation. Once the cold is removed, the veins overcompensate and dilate and blood rushes into the area. The infusion of blood in the area brings with it the necessary nutrients to help the injured back muscles, ligaments and tendons to heal in sports injuries.

Therapies on how to treat lower back pain

• Warm therapy for aches and pains

• Cold therapy  for fresh injuries and swelling