ICE VS. HEAT

ICE VS HEAT

A question that we receive almost daily in the office is “should I be using ice or heat”? We want to go into some detail about when you should use either!

Ice: When You Should Use It

Ice is used when you have an acute injury (less than 6 weeks old). If you’ve ever sprained your ankle, twisted your knee, slipped and fallen down in the winter (we are in Michigan after all) you would have noticed some swelling & inflammation in that area & more than likely iced it! When using ice, put it on the affected area for 20-30 minutes then give your body 30 minutes rest from it! Ice is fantastic for shutting down swelling, inflammation, & pain early on where as heat may make an injury worse. The best way to ice is with ice packs (frozen gel pack or frozen peas!).

Heat: When You Should Use It

Heat is going to be used when you have more chronic issues (older than 6 weeks). If you’ve had stubborn low back pain for years and it doesn’t seem to go away, chiropractic care can help along with heat. Heat is going to allow the body to increase blood flow to the area, relax muscles, & relieve aching joints. When using heat, put it on the affected area for 20-30 minutes then give your body 30 minutes rest from it! Another unique way to get heat on something that’s achy is to put the hot water from the shower on it. The best way to heat the affected area is moist heat (the shower), heat wraps, or heating pads!

If you haven’t start your health journey yet, or want to improve, call us at 810-654-0550 to make an appointment!

Walk-In Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

DR. ST. (M-W) DR. SU. (TH-S)

Monday - Friday:

6:30 am - 9:30 am

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am - 11:00 am

Sunday:

Closed

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