Painful knees can be due to a variety of conditions, so it’s important to realize that the best approach for treating them depends on the specific type and severity of your injury. For many instances of knee pain, heat or ice—or both—may be beneficial.
Understand Your Knee Pain
Before seeking relief for your knee pain, it’s best to understand what is causing it. An injury such as a ligament or tendon strain may be addressed with one form of therapy, such as ice, while tightness from overuse injury may be better approached using heat.Â
Is Heat Or Ice Better For Knee Pain?
You Ice What Is Sore; Heat What Is Tight (Away From The Soreness). Heat, when applied correctly, helps to reduce swelling and muscle spasm that often accompany an injury but not the actual soreness. While at the same time, cold therapy can reduce inflammation but too much ice is not good either and can actually prevent the body’s natural inflammation from healing you faster. Additionally, when applying either ice or heat, it’s important to cover a towel or cloth between your skin and the hot or cold source in order to avoid any direct contact with your skin.
Learn more by watching the video below!
Need more help? Our chiropractic and rehab specialists can help you determine the most effective treatment plan to provide you with the relief that you need.
