When you are looking for relief from neck pain, some people might suggest ice, while others tell you heat is the only way. The reality is, as with most things, it depends. If you haven't tried ice or heat yet, read on. If you have tried ice and heat and they aren't working, you might consider reading our article on Treatment for Neck Pain.
Will Ice Help My Neck Pain?
Ice helps to reduce inflammation in muscles, which can dramatically reduce the pressure and pain in some cases. But when you over ice you actually risk increasing the inflammation and increasing the pain.
Ice is best for an injury that has recently occurred. So, if you recently got hit by a car, playing a sport, or due to a fall, then icing your neck for 20 minutes at a time may be exactly what you need to get you over the hump. If you are having pain that restricts your motion, however, you need to speak with your physical therapist or your physician. You need someone who can do some stretching and some manual therapy to restore movement to your neck. This is especially true after a known injury where there may be underlying damage to internal structures.
When you ice, remember you should not place the ice directly on the skin and you should rotate the ice on and off with the ice being on for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
Will Heat Help My Neck Pain?
Ice helps to relax your muscles and allows tight, angry muscles to loosen up.
Heat is better for lingering pain. So, if you have been trying ice to no avail, or your neck pain is just sticking around longer than you expect, or you have tight back muscles but cannot recall anything specifically that happened, you probably want to use a heat pad.
Obviously, any time you apply something hot to the skin you risk burning yourself. Make sure that you don't overheat a compress and that, like ice, you rotate the heat on and off every 20 minutes.
With both ice and heat, maintaining good supportive posture or lying down can be helpful in further reducing your pain.
-FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provides orthopedic physical therapy in Lakeside, The Village, Nichols Hills and surrounding NW Oklahoma City. Our physical therapists are specially trained to treat all types of pain, movement disorders, and musculoskeletal dysfunction including Neck Pain. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your Neck Pain Relief. If you are unsure about the cause of your Neck Pain, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.