To Ice or Not to Ice?

When searching for the perfect pain reliever, don’t discount ice and heat, which calm inflammation and reduce muscle spasms, respectively.
Just can’t remember when to use what? Start here.

Use ice in the first 24 hours after a strain or sprain. Ice dampens the inflammatory response and helps prevent tissues from swelling. Apply wrapped ice for three to 10 minutes, remove it for five to 15 minutes, and then repeat, advises Paul Anderson, ND.
Use both ice and heat in the days following an injury. After the first 24 hours, alternate the ice treatment above with seven-minute heat treatments (hot towels, hot tubs, and heat packs count) to relax muscle spasms; cycle between hot and cold applications three times.
Use heat for cramped muscles, like menstrual cramps or “charley horse” pains. “Heat has a direct effect on muscle tissue,” says Anderson. “It helps the muscles relax more easily.”

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