Heat vs. Ice- Which one is best?
Heat or ice is a common question that gets asked in the Everything’s Connected clinic and the annoying answer is it depends. On an anatomical level, temperature changes affect the diameter of our blood vessels, which can work to our advantage when trying to target the inflammatory response, particularly when looking at acute pain.
Ice, as opposed to heat, causes our blood vessels to constrict, limiting the blood flow to the area, whilst heat does the opposite. With this change of blood flow, we also get a shift in the inflammatory chemicals to injury site, which can both relieve as well as further promote the inflammatory process to help with the overall healing time of an injury.
By incorporating the two, we can create a blood pump effect, which can provide some great relief particularly in the early stages of acute pain. So next time try interchanging between ice and heat over the painful site before reaching for your topical anti- inflammatory creams.
This blog post was written by the osteopaths at Everything’s Connected Osteopathy. Everything’s Connected Osteopathy is your premier osteopathic clinic located in Camberwell Melbourne on Riversdale Road. Everything’s Connected Osteopathy are osteopaths who use movement to assess and treat musculoskeletal disorders. At Everything’s Connected all osteopaths have nutrition qualifications and are focused on an active treatment and management plan. Our clinic sees patients of all ages, ranging from children to the elderly. Common conditions typically presenting to the clinic include sports injuries, osteoarthritic related aches and pains, neck pain, back pain, weight loss and upper and lower limb injuries. To find out more about us at Everything’s Connected Osteopathy, click on the link here. Everything’s Connected Osteopathy is located at 734 Riversdale Road, Camberwell. We are a short 5-minute drive from Camberwell Junction and a 2-minute walk from Riversdale Road Train Station. Appointments can be made by calling us on 03 98886176 or emailing reception@everythingsconnected.com.au.
Follow Everything’s Connected Osteopathy Instagram Page – Click HERE
Follow Everything’s Connected Osteopathy Facebook Page – Click HERE