When should we use heat vs. ice? This is a question I’m often asked, and it’s understandable that there’s a lot of confusion. Should you use heat to ease something, or is an ice pack better?
This week, I want to help clear this up for you once and for all. But first, I’d like to say that neither one actually speeds up the healing process!
Yes, that’s right—neither heat nor ice will make an injury heal faster. However, they’re both great for tricking your brain into thinking the pain has gone.
Why?
Pain and temperature share the same nerve pathway in the body. Think about the last time you got into a cold shower—it stung a little, didn’t it? You might even describe it as “painful.” What happened here? Your body registered the cold as a pain signal. The same goes for touching something hot; your first thought isn’t “that’s hot,” it’s “that hurts.”
So, by this logic, your brain can’t easily distinguish between hot, cold, and pain. If you want to trick your brain into not feeling pain, try alternating between hot and cold on the sore area. After ten minutes of an ice pack followed by ten minutes of a heat pack, your brain will focus on the temperature change rather than the pain.
But if you do want to use heat or cold for some relief, here’s a simple guide:
I hope this helps with your aches and pains. And remember, nothing works better than a properly functioning body after an adjustment to support true healing.
With love,
Tom
