Sports injuries: When to use ice packs and warm compresses

Post date: Mar 27, 2020 8:15:44 PM

Heat and cold therapy are essential for a variety of sports injuries. However, most people should know when a certain type of injury calls for hot compress or an ice pack. Public health and safety professional Martin Lloyd Sanders explains when to apply hot and cold treatments to injured areas. Warm compress When it comes to heat therapies, moist and dry heat can be used to treat injuries. However, it is also worth noting that the temperature should be warm instead of scalding hot. Heat is used for chronic sports injuries or pain that accumulate over time. One should apply it on the injured muscle or part for about 15 to 20 minutes. If the heating pad or the towel is too hot, one can place a protective layer such as another towel on the skin to prevent burning the skin. Applying warm compress to injuries will increase blood flow, which will then relieve the stiffness in the tendons and ligaments as well as relax tight muscles. Experts suggest using heat therapy before working out. When using heat therapy, one should be careful of open wounds and rashes. Those with heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension should avoid this kind of treatment.

Cold compress Cold compress, or cryotherapy is usually applied to acute injuries. Martin Lloyd Sanders and other health experts suggest icing an injured muscle for 24 to 48 hours to let the swelling subside. The ice pack should be applied to the injured muscle for about 20 minutes. Pain in the joints, tendons, or in the ligaments can benefit from a cold compress as it numbs the inflamed area. Wrap the ice packs in a thin cloth to protect the skin from burns. Aside from ice packs, ice baths, and ice massages, advanced forms of cold therapy include whole-body cryotherapy chambers, cryokinetics, and cryo-stretching which encourage physical movement to relieve the pain and to lessen the swelling. Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders, Ph.D., CSP, is an expert in biological safety, field medical operations, biosecurity, occupational safety and health, infectious disease epidemiology, and environmental health services. For related posts, visit this page. Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin L. Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.