Do I put ice on my injury or heat? This is a common question I get in my practice and the simple answer is, "both". Of course there are a few more details that are helpful regarding this treatment technique. Both heat and ice are helpful in the unfortunate event of an injury but for different reasons. Ice is optimal in the first 72 hours of an injury to reduce inflammation and pain. This would typically be for injuries like ankle sprains and tendonitis. Heat is preferred for ailments such as arthritis and chronic muscle pain in order to speed up the relaxation process, mobilize joints, and increase blood flow. So far, this has probably not been too helpful for you. Let me make it simpler. If you have a brand new injury that feels any combination of sharp, hot, burning, or tingly or has any sign of swelling or an increase in pressure, ice is the better choice. Apply up to twenty minutes consecutively every hour, particularly in the first three days of the injury as well as during any flare-ups in the future. Make sure the actual ice itself is not contacting your skin but rather use a cloth or some type of covering and do not apply in excess of twenty minutes per hour or it may have the reverse effect. On the other hand, instead of any swelling or sharp pain you have more like a dull achy pain that was not from some form of recent distinct trauma; heat will be a better choice. This will help the area warm up and relax much faster while speeding up blood flow, therefore; speeding up the healing process. Can you alternate between the ice and heat therapy? Definitely, I suggest this to patients all of the time. I will have them go ten minutes of heat and then 10 minutes of ice back and forth, in that order, always finishing with the ice. The main thing I emphasize during all of this to patients is that if it feels like a brand new injury that is sharp, tingly, or burning or has any sign of swelling, do not place heat on this until these symptoms have been significantly reduced. If you have any doubt, contact your local health care provider for further medical instructions. Ice and heat; take advantage of these great therapeutic modalities right in your very own home.