Heat and Ice Therapy

After a Chiropractic adjustment, people can sometimes feel uncomfortable or pain in certain areas and ignoring this issue may lead to prolonged discomfort. Heat and ice therapy helps to promote the healing process. Ice is useful to help decrease inflammation and swelling, and applying heat helps to improve flexibility. By extension, alternating between ice and heat improves circulation to the affected area.

ICE FOR FIRST THREE DAYS:

1. Take a bag of ice/ice pack/packet of frozen peas.
2. Wrap ice in a moist tea towel (prevents ice burns or frostbite).
3. Apply ice to the area for 10 minutes (time can vary depending on the size of the body part and your reaction. However no longer than 10 minutes).
4. Remove for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat this twice more so that ice has been applied 3 times.
6. Have a break for 1 hour before next application.
7. Repeat as often as can be tolerated.

FOR DAYS FOUR AND FIVE ALTERNATE BETWEEN ICE AND HEAT:

1. Take a wheat pack/hot water bottle wrapped in a damp towel with warm or hot water/ or microwave wet towel for 30 sec.
2. Apply for 5 minutes. (or until towel cools)
3. Remove and apply ice for 10 minutes.
4. Repeat hot-cold treatment twice more.
5. Use hot- cold procedure 3 times daily.

FOR DAYS SIX AND SEVEN USE HEAT:

1. Use wheat pack/hot water bottle etc.
2. Apply for 10 minutes.
3. Remove for 10 minutes.
4. Repeat 2 more times and do procedure 3 times during day.