Ever wonder if you should use ice or heat for an injury? Well, I go into way too much detail on the subject here. Did you know that ice might not actually help with inflammation and swelling? Or how heat can actually block pain receptors? But if you just want the short answer, use ice for acute injuries and heat for chronic ones. But as with everything, there are some confusing details, and I do my best to explain them for you so that you can make the right decision for your situation.

https://www.painscience.com/articles/icing-heating-tissue-depth.php

https://www.painscience.com/articles/heating.php

https://www.painscience.com/articles/icing.php

https://www.painscience.com/articles/contrasting.php

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Thermotherapy

https://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html

episode 6 :https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/e/06-overuse-tendon-disorders/

Contrast Therapy and Heat Therapy in Subacute Stage of Grade I and II Lateral Ankle Sprains: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27036491/

Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of its effects on pain relief and quality of life: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389956/

Mechanisms and efficacy of heat and cold therapies for musculoskeletal injury: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526231/

Is ice right? Does cryotherapy improve outcome for acute soft tissue injury?: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18212134/

The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14754753/

Topical cooling (icing) delays recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22820210/