A lot of people like to apply heat and / or ice to their joints to relieve pain.  Many people swear by heat, and many swear by ice.  So, which one works?  Well, the truth is they obviously both work, but, the real question is, “Which is better for joint pain relief – ice or heat?”.

I am by no means an expert on this.  I have used both, and both have helped make any pain I had better.  So, I decided to do what I always do – turn to my trusty friend.  He is very knowledgeable about this – and a lot of this.  His name is the internet.

I have found that the only time you absolutely should use ice and ice only is after sudden injuries or surgeries.  The ice helps to constrict the blood vessels, this means there will be less swelling and therefore less pain.  Another thing I found is that it’s good to use heat before activities and ice afterward.  Another method is to experiment to find what suits you best when.

If anyone has any personal experience with these, as always, please chime in and leave a comment about it.  I’d love to know all I could about this.