Massage Therapy by Nicole Davis LMT, NCTMB

Hot and Cold Therapy can greatly benefit muscle pain and soreness. Do you know when to use heat and when to use cold? I will provide some tips on using heat and cold in this blog.

Cold Therapy is best when applied to an acute(or sudden)injury. Cold treats inflammation and swelling by narrowing of the blood vessels(Vaso-Constriction). My favorite method of ice application is with the gel ice packs(or wraps). I like them because they don’t become completely frozen but they are very cold and can be conformed around the injured body part. These ice packs can be found at most stores or online. Ice cubes or frozen peas wrapped in a towel work good too. I recommend holding the ice to the injury for 10-15 minutes at a time. After that time is up you should wait for the area to return to normal temperature before re-applying the ice pack. You can re-apply ice several times a day for about 3 days after the initial injury. At this time if you are still swollen and in pain you should consult a Doctor. Although ice is primarily used for acute pain and injury, it can be used as a preventative measure for some chronic pain issues as well. If you experience chronic pain in your elbow joint when playing tennis, apply ice after every tennis match or practice to prevent the tennis elbow ache and pain. Another example is chronic knee pain when cycling or running. Apply ice to the knee joint after these activities to prevent soreness and pain in the knee later. Getting a Massage is like giving your muscles a good work out with the focus on working out the knots! So I recommend icing after a Deep Massage to prevent soreness the next day.

Hot Therapy is great because not only does it help relieve muscle pain and soreness but it is soothing and relaxing too. Heat improves the elasticity of the muscles, joints, and tendons, so it loosens you up. If you can take a hot shower or better yet get in the sauna or jacuzzi BEFORE a work out or athletic activity it can allow you to have a better performance. Although it feels great to relax in the jacuzzi or sauna after a work out it is actually best before because it stimulates blood flow and improves the elasticity of your connective tissue. After exercise you can feel your blood circulation going but your muscles and joints might feel tight so that is why you may think  to use heat. To relieve that muscle tightness and tension stretch thoroughly after your work out. If you are in pain, use ice on the area. Heat treats chronic pain, muscle aches, and stiffness by bringing oxygen rich blood flow to the area. It is not to be used for acute injuries or inflammation since heat raises skin temperature and increases circulation. My favorite heat source is moist heat because it penetrates into the muscles more than electric or dry heat does. A simple method is to roll up a wet towel and microwave it for a couple minutes or heat it inside of a crock pot. Always make sure it is not too hot before placing it on your skin, and check to make sure it is not burning you. Leave it on the area for 15-20 minutes at a time. If you are using a hot pack use layers of 3-4 towels between the pack and your skin. Never fall asleep with a heating pad on! I love using Heat Therapy during a Massage. When I use Heat Therapy I usually do it at the beginning to loosen up the muscles and fascia before I begin manual Massage. I recommend applying heat prior to receiving a Massage to get your muscles warmed up.

I hope you find this blog helpful and remember home care is important! If you would like me to use Hot or Cold Therapy during a Massage session just ask and I will be happy to do so with no extra charge! Please call me at 303-881-5533 to schedule a Massage at my office on South Pearl in Denver.

Visit my website http://www.nicoledavislmt.com/ to find out more about me and my Massage Practice.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 4:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.