When To Use Heat

Applying heat when you should be applying ice can make your injury worse, which is why it’s important to understand when you should be applying ice versus heat. When you suffer a traumatic injury, the body tries to protect itself by creating inflammation to help it heal. You will often notice the area to be hot from the inflammation, so applying heat to it is not a great idea. In fact, it will increase the inflammation and may lead to more tissue damage.

You should use heat when you feel stiff and you feel like you want to stretch a muscle, but stretching doesn’t help to bring relief. Heat will relax the tissue and help bring blood to the area to help combat the feeling of tightness and stiffness. Moist heat is going to be your best bet, so try a hot water bottle or a hot shower to help bring you some relief. Pro tip: Applying heat after a chiropractic adjustment will probably help you feel fabulous!

Temperature

Combining heat therapy with exercise can help relieve much of the pain associated with stiffness due to arthritis.  However, the heat should not be too hot to avoid burning the skin.  To be effective, the heat must be applied long enough to penetrate the affected joints and muscle tissue.  If only applied for a short amount of time, the skin will warm up, but the muscle will not.  For joints not covered by thick muscle tissues, such as the ankles, fingers, or elbows, therapy time required is about 15 to 20 minutes.  If the joint is deep, as in the hip or lower back, the session should be extended to 30 minutes or longer to bring beneficial relief.

When Not to Use Heat Therapy

Under particular circumstances, heat therapy should not be used.  Some of these instances include:

• Swollen or bruised areas
• Diabetes
• Areas that have an open wound
• Dermatitis
• Those diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis
• Those who suffer from heart disease or hypertension

Heat can be either wet or dry.  A heating pad, warm compress, or heated strips can be used effectively. 

If you need more clarification about when heat or ice would be the most beneficial, discuss it with your chiropractor during your next visit.