Exercise has many health benefits. But you’ll likely experience muscle soreness post-workout, especially if you are a beginner.

Hot and cold therapies are go-to solutions for quick recovery. The question is, do you know when to use hot or cold packs? Are you treating your sore muscles correctly?

Let’s differentiate the two so you can make the most of either treatment method.

Table of Contents

When to Use Cold Packs

For many years, health experts recommended ice packs or cold compress to effectively reduce inflammation, soothe muscle pain, and speed up recovery. Cold pack application is one of the many forms of cryotherapy, which is a collective term for cold application.

Professional athletes have taken cold therapy to a whole new level by utilising nitrogen chambers for immediate muscle relief after training and competitions.

For maximum relief, use cold packs or cold therapy when:

1. You want to reduce inflammation.

Inflammation is commonplace in the cycle of exercise and recovery. But when you overdo it, working out can result in excessive inflammation which increases the risk of injury.

Cold pack therapy helps in preventing serious injury from developing. Less inflammation in the muscles means a reduced risk of muscle soreness and serious injuries.

2. You need to speed up recovery from existing injuries.

Applying cold therapy on an injured muscle, such as a sprained ankle, can help alleviate inflammation and swelling, leading to faster recovery.

Another item that can help reduce delayed muscle soreness is a pair of compression boots. Check out the benefits here if you are interested to learn more.

3. You want non-invasive pain relief.

Cold packs also offer immediate pain relief from muscle strain and soreness. It works by numbing the nerves and reducing the occurrence of related symptoms.

No matter what type of application you use cold packs on, it is best utilised within 48 hours of muscle inflammation or injury.

Aside from cold packs or gels, soaking in an ice bath is another way to get these therapeutic benefits. Check out our reviews of the best portable ice baths for more details.

When to Use Hot Packs

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s heat therapy. The use of hot packs or hot compress is an equally popular method of recovery to treat muscle soreness.

Heat is typically associated with comfort and relaxation. But did you know that hot temperature is indeed beneficial in treating sore muscle fibres?

Here are instances when it’s best to use this treatment method:

1. You want to relax your muscle fibres.

While cold application helps alleviate inflammation, heat on the other hand dilates or relaxes the blood resulting in improved blood flow. In the case of muscle spasms, a hot pack application is the best.

The vasodilation effect also happens when you use heat therapy on a hurting knee. Combining it with a massage using a knee massager is also another good solution.

2. You need muscle recovery post-workout.

Hot pack application is usually performed by athletes after training and actual games, as the heat helps in loosening tense muscle fibres. When heat is applied to the sore muscle region, the blood vessels start to expand leading to an increase in blood flow to that area.

It also facilitates the transport of lactic acid and other toxins away from sore muscles. Nerve endings are also stimulated by hot packs, as well as stimulate pain signals from the brain.

Research also reveals that hot pack application can help alleviate discomfort and pain associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness within 24 hours after working out.

Heat is the best option if you are treating exercise-related muscle pain and soreness, but it should never be used for treatment of injuries. Hot pack application on a new injury can speed up the inflammatory process which can result in more intense and more frequent pain levels.

After the acute phase of an injury, which is normally two to three days after injury, you can then use hot packs for recovery and muscle relaxation.

When to Use Alternating Hot and Cold Therapy

Knowing when to use hot or cold packs is important to avoid exacerbating soreness or pain.

Still, some experts recommend an alternating cold and hot pack application to successfully reduce muscle soreness.

Contrasting therapy works by initially constricting the blood flow using cold pack application followed immediately with hot pack application. The result of this process leads to increased blood flow to the affected region.

A good hot and cold compression tool is the Thermosleeves by Hydragun. They produce amazing recovery products. Check out our review on Thermosleeves here.

Contrasting therapy is proven to be highly effective in treating muscle soreness. It may be utilised in combination with other muscle recovery techniques such as muscle stretching and massages.

If muscle soreness does not subside after cold and hot pack application, you may need to consult with a doctor to identify the underlying cause of chronic muscle soreness.

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