It is commonly accepted that muscles prefer heat for comfort when not inflamed, and bones and joints prefer heat too. However when inflamed, the body often responds well to ice therapy, and some may even prefer a combination of ice and heat.
When it comes to recovering from an injury, I am a firm believer in regular hot bathing with Epsom salts – this has such great healing properties for swelling and oedema!
Lots of people are experimenting with ice baths (i.e. sportsmen post training), which are becoming popular with muscle and body recovery. It is impossible to say if it works for all people – some patients have adverse reactions to icing even when suggested, due to an underlying skin or endocrine irregularity. So “different strokes for different folks”, whats important is that you discover what is best for your body and be consistent with it for a faster recovery.
