Ice or Heat for Pain Relief? Doctors Reveal Which To Use for Sore Muscles, Stiff Joints and Swelling
Turns out the best choice depends on the type of pain you have
Key Takeaways
- Heat can help relax stiff muscles and joints and improve blood flow.
- Cold can numb pain and ease swelling from new injuries or flare-ups.
- Dollar Tree offers both hot patches and ice packs for just $1.25 each.
You reach into your cabinet to grab your favorite healthy late-night snack and feel a pulling pain in your back. Or you peer over your granddaughter’s math homework to help with a problem and your side aches. Sound familiar? You’re likely one of the millions of Americans living with muscle and joint pain. And when pain strikes, is ice or heat better for fast—and lasting—relief? We looked at new research and asked the experts to find out.
New research on ice vs. heat for pain relief
In an animal study published in Anesthesiology, mice with paw pain were treated with either cold (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit) or room-temperature (68 degrees Fahrenheit) water. While icing provided more immediate pain relief than the room-temperature control, it ultimately doubled the duration of pain from about 15 days to more than 30 days.
Scott Nass, MD, a family medicine physician at SwiftCareMD, explains that cold therapy is often used to help with immediate pain. “Cold provides temporary blockage of nerve signal transduction, which results in a numbing sensation,” adds Dr. Nass. “Additionally, cold may inhibit blood flow and swelling in the affected areas.”
So why doesn’t ice perform well in the long term? Myrdalis Díaz-Ramírez, MD, a double-board-certified physician in anesthesiology and pain medicine and an expert in chronic pain, non-surgical spine care and regenerative medicine, provides an analogy.
“If we stop inflammation, we’re quieting the pain, but we’re delaying healing,” explains Díaz-Ramírez. “We need that inflammation to heal, and heat increases blood flow to the area and helps with the healing process. Ice decreases the blood flow and the repair crew might not get to the correct address. It can also impair the function of individual elements of the repair crew.”
So which is better for pain, ice or heat?
It depends. “Typically, cold is used in cases of new injuries that have swelling,” explains Dr. Nass. “Heat is typically the most comfortable for areas that are stiff (tight) and have limited range of motion. Neither should be thought of as always better than the other. Your goal is to treat the symptoms and match the correct therapy to those symptoms. Cold will numb an irritated area and calm it down, and heat will help relax tight or stiff tissue.”
Frank Agullo, MD, FACS, board-certified plastic surgeon and clinical associate professor of plastic surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, shares some everyday examples that could make sense for using heat vs cold therapy for your pain.
How and when to use heat therapy for pain
Dr. Agullo provides a few examples of when pain may respond well to warmth:
- Lower back tightness after a long day sitting
- Neck stiffness in the morning
- Arthritic hands or knees that loosen as the day goes on
“Heat opens the small blood vessels, brings more blood flow to the tissue and relaxes the muscle around the joint, which is why a stiff joint moves more easily after a warm shower,” he explains. Dr. Agullo recommends using heat on your pain for 15 to 20 minutes, two to three times a day, with a layer of cloth between the heat source and skin.
“Do not fall asleep on a heating pad, and do not use heat on skin that is numb or has poor feeling, which is common with diabetes or nerve problems, because you can burn yourself without noticing,” adds Dr. Agullo. “Skip heat on anything that is still swelling or has an open wound.”
Dollar Tree pick for heat therapy
There are a ton of options for using heat therapy for pain. Thomas Allen, MD, FACEP, a board-certified emergency medicine physician with more than 20 years of experience in high-acuity emergency and trauma care, says everything from warm cloths and heating pads to a warm bath or Jacuzzi could help. But if you’re looking for a quick and cheap option you can pick up, Dollar Tree has you covered, and Dr. Allen recommends Coralite Pain Relief Extra Strength Hot Patches ($1.25). After applying the heat patch, you can continue going about your day with lasting pain relief.
How and when to use cold therapy for pain
Dr. Agullo says these situations may respond better to cold:
- A pulled muscle
- A knee that swells after activity
- A bruise
- A joint pain flare-up that feels hot or puffy
- A rolled ankle
“Cold is also the right choice after exercise if a spot feels inflamed rather than just tired,” adds Dr. Agullo. “Every patient I operate on goes home with ice for the first two days for exactly this reason.” He recommends using cold treatment for 15 to 20 minutes, then removing the cold treatment for at least the same amount of time a few times a day for the first day or two after the pain strikes.
“Longer than 20 minutes does not help,” adds Dr. Agullo. “The skin can be injured, and the body starts pushing blood back into the area to warm it, which undoes the benefit. If the skin turns white or you lose feeling, stop. After two days, if the swelling is gone and what is left is stiffness, that is the signal to switch to heat.”
Dollar Tree pick for cold therapy
A bag of ice, frozen peas or even a gel cold pack from the freezer that molds around the area where you’re experiencing pain can all help, regardless of where you get it, says Dr. Agullo. “Always wrap it in a thin towel or a pillowcase,” Dr. Agullo adds. “Ice straight on the skin can cause a cold burn in a matter of minutes.” But if you’re already at Dollar Tree and want an option from there, Dr. Agullo provides a recommendation: Thera Plus Reusable Pain-Relief Ice Pack ($1.25). Simply fill it with ice water for fast relief.
The bottom line on ice or heat for pain relief
Just as our pain differs, so does the method that makes the most sense for treating it. So whether your sore back or knee is caused by a longer-term condition, like osteoarthritis, or a particularly adventurous day, know that whether you use heat or cold, there are many budget-friendly options to ease your pain.
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