By increasing the temperature and improving circulation, heat can relax injured muscles, heal damaged tissues and improve flexibility. Not only can heat calm pain flare-ups, but it is an excellent way to soothe muscle tension, stiffness and even chronic back pain.
Elevated temperatures are also known to cause protein unfolding, denaturation, and aggregation which can impair muscle enzyme or contractile protein function.
Ice wins to shut down swelling, inflammation and pain early on where heat may actually make an injury worse.” If you're dealing with lingering injuries (older than 6 weeks) then it's okay to use heat. The increased blood flow relaxes tight muscles and relieves aching joints.
“Heat actually has the opposite effect of ice,” Dr. Behr says. “It causes small blood vessels to open which can stimulate inflammation rather than relieve it.” Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues, and to stimulate blood flow to the area.
In conclusion, cold and heat therapies are both effective for enhancing muscle recovery and reducing muscle damage with heat being superior immediately after exercise and cold at 24 hours after exercise.
The application of heat can also facilitate the stretching and loosening of tight muscles, thereby helping to alleviate stiffness around joints.
Heat helps soothe sore muscles that cause back pain or neck pain. It works best for injuries that are at least few days old. Heat opens blood vessels, which can assist the healing process and alleviate some of your pain. Additionally, some arthritis pain from stiff joints can benefit from heat as blood flow increases.
Ice helps reduce inflammation and numb pain, whereas heat helps relax muscles and stiff joints. While heat helps improve circulation and blood flow, ice reduces blood flow thereby reducing inflammation and swelling.
Applying heat to a body part stimulates blood circulation to the injury site. This oxygen-rich blood brings nutrients to the affected area, promoting healing. Heat also helps to remove lactic acid buildup from overtaxed muscles, which allows them to “un-clench.”
Nerve Pain
It's best to use cold when the pain is still sharp and move on to heat once that sharpness has subsided. The heat will increase blood flow and help tissues heal faster.
For people recovering from injury or surgery, proper hydration is important to the success of physical therapy. Water flushes toxins out of the body, transports nutrients into the cells and helps regulate body temperature and pH balance. Water also helps with muscle soreness and tension.
Warming up increases your heart rate and therefore your blood flow. This enables more oxygen to reach your muscles. A warm-up also activates and primes the connections between your nerve and muscles, which improves the efficiency of movement.
Rest and elevate the painful area. Alternate between ice packs to reduce inflammation and heat to improve blood flow. Soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts or take a warm shower. Take over-the-counter pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen).
Increased swelling and inflammation.
Heat therapy is not recommended immediately after physical activity, after injury, or during an infection. The heat will worsen pain and prolong healing if used when the tissues are damaged or infected.
Most commonly, muscle stiffness can be treated at home by resting the stiff muscle, applying heat and cold, stretching, and massaging the muscle. More extensive treatments may include physical therapy and medications, depending upon the underlying condition.
“For any acute injuries such as muscle sprains, strains, knee injuries, fractures or dislocations, heat therapy is not advised,” shares Dr. Rama. Similarly to cold therapy, heat therapy should also never be applied to open wounds and patients with circulatory problems should avoid, as well.
Research has shown that heat treatments can loosen stiff joints and relieve achy muscles. Here is how it works. When you warm up a sore joint or tired muscle, your blood vessels get bigger. This allows more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to be delivered to the injured tissues.
Temperature is the most critical and effective way to promote wound healing or to delay it. Figure 1 shows this effect. As temperature increases, the speed that suberin formation and wound healing is completed increases, that is, it takes less time for the cut to heal.
Generally, heat should be applied 1-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time – however, if heat is added too early in the healing process, it can perpetuate the inflammation cycle and be harmful to the body. Ultimately, the decision to use ice or heat for pain relief is up to you.
Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promote blood flow, and help sore and tightened muscles relax. Improved circulation can help eliminate the buildup of lactic acid waste occurs after some types of exercise.
The hotter it is outside, the more your body will be susceptible to swelling. The more prone to swelling you are, the more pain you will have. Research shows that barometric pressure can also have some impact. The pressure changes outside can cause your joints to be more sensitive to pain.
Heat. Brings more blood to the area where it is applied. Reduces joint stiffness and muscle spasm, which makes it useful when muscles are tight.
Your Brain Releases Feel-Good Chemicals and Pain Diminishes
If you have real aches or pains, the morphine-like effect from the endorphins will help diminish them by blocking pain signals from the brain. And if your muscles are sore after a rigorous workout, a good rubdown will actually help them heal faster.
Heat therapy increases blood flow to a specific area and improves circulation. This is because heat on an inflamed area causes the blood vessels to dilate, promoting blood flow to the injured area. Applying heat to an affected area can provide comfort and increase muscle flexibility, as well as heal damaged tissue.