Heat and Cold Treatment

Pulled muscles often require a variety of modalities in order to heal them properly. Perhaps one of the easiest things a person can do to help with healing is to apply ice and heat to the injured area. This should always be done with a physical barrier between the ice or heat source so as not to damage the skin in the process.

Using Heat and Cold Treatment

Using heat and cold treatments to help aid in the healing process of a pulled muscle can be very useful, especially if done in a timely fashion following the onset of injury. The combination of ice and heat work very well together, to reduce swelling and increase mobility without any invasive techniques or putting pharmaceutical drugs into the body.

Ice is used to reduce the swelling that often occurs as a result of the injury. Swelling typically occurs in the surrounding tissues, and can be painful to the touch, or during movement. Anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes supplemented to increase the rate of bringing the swelling down, but in many cases, ice is enough.

Heat is used to increase blood flow to the affected area once swelling is under control. Heat can also help to allow a muscle to stretch and move more effectively, and can be useful for getting it to stretch once it has begun healing. Some people find relief from applying heat to the affected area, as it can be soothing and calming.

When to Use Ice and Heat

In most cases, the combination of heat and ice are extremely helpful, regardless of the muscle injured. It is more often the timing of the application of ice or heat that is important, and should be done in a specific order to gain the most benefit from treatment. It is typically best to use ice within the first 48 hours following the injury to help reduce and avoid swelling. Heat can be used after the initial period of ice, but should be avoided until swelling is under control, as the rush of blood to the surface because the heat can encourage swelling, defeating the purpose of the ice.

Once the initial healing process has begun, it is advised that a person alternate between ice and heat if it can be tolerated. A period of application followed by the muscle being left alone is usually the best way to aid a pulled muscle in the healing process. Periods of 15-30 minutes of ice or heat, followed by 15-30 minutes of rest, again followed by ice or heat is frequently the desired method to encourage the healing process. If ice or heat is not being tolerated well and causing further pain, it should be avoided until the injury is healed better.

Homemade Heat/Cold Treatment

Applying ice and heat to an injury is easy and can be done with a variety of homemade products or household items. A linen or paper towel can be wetted and placed in the refrigerator or microwave to create a cold or hot pack. Frozen foods make great ice packs, as long as it can be formed to wrap around the injury. Water bottles filled with cold or warm water are also useful, as is a plastic zip-lock baggie filled with warm water or ice. A very effective heat treatment is a sock filled with rice and then placed in the microwave until desired temperature is reached. Rice socks are notorious for keeping their warm temperatures for long periods of time.
Buying Heat/Cold Products

Hot and cold products for injuries can be bought in almost any grocery store or drug store. Sports supply stores also carry products, but are often more pricey than regular stores. Doctor’s offices may also have products available, but for ease and timeliness, stores are typically recommended. There are a variety of products at stores for application of ice and heat.

Store-bought products include things such as patches that are good for one application, one-time use hot and cold packs that may last for several hours. They also often sell reusable packs that are interchangeably hot and cold, depending on how they are prepared. These come in handy, as they can be frozen, refrigerated or placed in the microwave for the desired temperature.