Heat before and ice after?

[Mojorisin99]

If you are nursing an injury should you heat up the area before your training session and ice it down after? Or does it not really matter. What about taking a hot bath?

 

[Leviathan333]

I know that for a lot of injuries, you want to ice it right when it happens to help supress the inflammation/swelling. After the first day or so, you want heat to help loosen everything up and relax it. I messed up my knee a few weeks ago, reallllly bad cramp that somehow swelled up and I couldn't bend my leg backwards. Kept using ice, then figured it out, and the heat helped much more. Get an IcyHot pack.

 

[Duncon76]

ice ice ice, go jump in a frozen lake..

 

[Ian Coe]

I was told nothing but ice for the first 3 days

If its persistant you can do the hot cold treatment to flush out the crap

 

[hippiass]

From what iv learned you dont add heat to it before a workout. It might loosen it up too much and it wont heal properly. I did that with my right tricep once. Just stretch it out normally and do your training, but DEFINETELY ice it down if theres swelling from your injury. Ice first, then heat later.

 

[canucknoob]

IMO yes, heat first ice after. Heating warms the muscle up while cooling reduces inflammation.

 

[Shogun Rutten]

Ice for injuries and heat for if your expecting muscle soreness.