Suppose you suffer some type of injury, either a sports injury or a fall down the stairs.  Would you know whether to apply heat or ice to the injured area?

New Injuries

It's usually best to apply cold to a new or acute injury.  This helps restrict blood flow and reduce swelling and pain.  Only use either real ice or high-quality gel packs (with some layers of cloth or paper towel to protect bare skin).  Usually Dr. Brown will recommend to his patients that they apply the ice for 20 minutes, and then have them take it off for 40 minutes.  Keep repeating this cycle for maximum benefit.

Old Injuries

Use moist heat to increase blood circulation and improve flexibility from long-standing problems.  A hot water bottle wrapped with a moistened towel can work nicely.  Wet a towel, wring the water out of it, wrap it around a water bottle and place it on the area of concern.

To insure that the heat doesn't aggravate your condition, apply it in increments of 10-20 minutes, followed by equal time without heat and monitor the results.

Avoid applying heat directly to the spine.  Increased blood circulation near delicate spinal nerve roots can sometimes worsen inflammation.

See Dr. Brown for an evaluation of your injuries, old and new.