Which helps u heal Warm or cold water

[Toro]

Alright i did a search for this but all i came up with after reading for a hour was that major athlets and hudge wrestelers take cold bathes w/ ice and cold water. But my question is what will help you heal faster Cold or warm water? ive always thought that by using warm water your increasing the rate of blood flow throughout your body which causes u to heal at a faster rate but... y do people use cold water? wont that slow blood flow to in your body. Besides numbness that comes with using cold water and ice i dont see it really as being a good way of healing maybe this is wrong its just something i picked up, does anyone got any ideas?

The only reason i ask this is because of the weekend i screwed up my knee somehow i used cold ass water and wraped a towel around it, it was miserable, i had a even harder time walking around w/ a numb knee then i asked my dad and he said i could use the heat pad and so after only a little bit of time it felt great w/ the heat pad. So why do ppl use ice?

[Kitara]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I wanted to throw this in there. My best friend is a physical therapist and she told me that the reason you don't heat an injury is because the reason it hurts is because the muscles are contracted around it. Kinda like an internal splint. When you heat it, you relax those muscles causing the pain to subside, but possibly make yourself more suseptible to further injury.

Keep in mind this was told me to a while ago so I may have some facts mixed up .

[injusinjus]

the reason they ice it is so it doesnt start swelling up or so it doesnt feel sore the next day. the ice and the cold will slow the bloodflow which will slow the swelling down, and slow the lactic acid build up (lactic acid causes soreness). alot of althetes use icy-hot patches too. these give the cold first to stop swelling and soreness and then the heat second to soothe the muscles and relax them.

[Scott2k3]

My doc, and i agree 100%, told me that heat is better because it keeps blood flowing and relaxed the muscle, when a muscle is really tense it doesnt heal as fast due to the tension. I've always used a heating pad and it's worked out great. I've heard heat for muscles and cold for bones and joints. Use what u need. ~Scott

[abarlament]

Alternating hot and cold works very well. Take a shower, and turn it on has hot as you can stand for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat off and go as cold as you can stand (don't wimp out), for 1-2 minutes, alternate a few times then get out. I feel fantastic when I do this, I learned the technique from my Athletic Training class.

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by abarlament

Alternating hot and cold works very well. Take a shower, and turn it on has hot as you can stand for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat off and go as cold as you can stand (don't wimp out), for 1-2 minutes, alternate a few times then get out. I feel fantastic when I do this, I learned the technique from my Athletic Training class.

So do i, but when i go cold i start shivering madly.

[Toro]

Originally Posted by abarlament

Alternating hot and cold works very well. Take a shower, and turn it on has hot as you can stand for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat off and go as cold as you can stand (don't wimp out), for 1-2 minutes, alternate a few times then get out. I feel fantastic when I do this, I learned the technique from my Athletic Training class.

Does it really work? Even if it doesnt ill try it tomorrow morning for my shower.

Thanks guys ur suggestions are helping alot.

[Spinster]

Hot then stretch and then cold. This is what my P.T.'s and a couple people in sports medicine have advised.

[alucard]

Originally Posted by abarlament

Alternating hot and cold works very well. Take a shower, and turn it on has hot as you can stand for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat off and go as cold as you can stand (don't wimp out), for 1-2 minutes, alternate a few times then get out. I feel fantastic when I do this, I learned the technique from my Athletic Training class.

yeah ive heard of similar methods when trying to increase recovery rate.

i was told the idea behind it is - when you work out there is fluid, lactic acid and other things that can hinder recovery time and alternating between hot (relaxes blood vessels and muscles - increases blood flow) and cold (tenses up vessels and decreases blood flow) creates a pump like effect which pumps some of that gook out and can help improve recovery rate.

[Kenny]

heat = relax muscle

cold = reduce swelling


if its a joint thing, i'd go with cold.

[synthetic1]

i like both, nothing like a hottub alternating with an ice bath or in my case, lying in the snow for a shocker...

[B.A.]

Treatment depends on stage of rehabilitation you are at for your injury/ nature of injury, for example, if you sprain your ankle/ knee, wrist (joint) etc you'll want to apply the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) Procedure on it for the first 24-72 hours. Rest obviously to prevent further damage to the injured area, Ice so as to reduce blood flow (think vasoconstriction) to the affected area and prevent/ minimise an accumulation of inflammatory fluids to the injured area - reducing swelling and encouraging a natural analgesic effect, Compression also to reduce blood flow/ minimise fluid build up and give support/ protection to the affected area (usually a psychological factor), Elevation (above heart level) again so as to reduce blood flow to particular area.

However, if you're experiencing muscle (tissue) soreness/ stiffness then IMHO heat is the way to go - open up those blood vessels/ capillaries (vasodilation) and encourage additional oxygen and nutrients to the affected area so as to accelerate recovery. arm/ hot baths and massage are two good methods of producing this desired affect.

- B.A.

[Fred]

I had heard to ice it first - within the first 24 hours. After that heat. The ice reduces swelling, imflammation, and lactic acid build up as everyone seems to have said. After the first 24 hours - heat - to increase the blood flow to the affected area. Cold after the first 24 hours won't help. Just drink a really cold beer if you want something cold. Also, the alcohol will thin out your blood, and depending on how much you drink, numb the nerves...