When it comes to healing and recovering after a car accident, you want to make sure you are doing everything you can to experience lasting pain relief. Talk to your car accident doctor about pain management techniques you can try from home that will help soothe your pain. One commonly recommended technique to try after a car accident is applying ice and heat. But how do you know when to use ice or heat for a car accident injury? Your car accident doctor can make recommendations based on your specific injuries. However, here are the basics and the general rule of thumb for when to use ice versus heat for a car accident injury.
When to Use Ice for a Car Accident Injury
When you think of applying a compress to a sore or tender area after a car accident injury, always start with ice instead of heat. Whether you are healing from scrapes and bruises or from a muscle strain like whiplash, your body likely has some swelling and inflammation in the area near the injury. Inflammation is a natural response of the body when there’s an injury, but it can also cause more pain and discomfort after a car accident. Applying ice to an area with inflammation can help bring down the swelling. Ice also helps provide a temporary numbing effect that acts as a natural pain reliever. When you use ice for a car accident injury, the cold temperature actually causes your blood vessels to constrict, which means less blood is moving to the injured area.
When to Use Heat for a Car Accident Injury
Once swelling and inflammation have gone down, you can alternate applying ice with using heat. A warm compress or heating pad can help with sore, stiff muscles after a car accident injury. Unlike ice, applying heat actually does the opposite to blood vessels and promotes more blood flow to the area. When your body is healing from an injury, this can cause blood flow with nutrients and oxygen to help enrich the damaged area. Heat can also be soothing as it helps your muscles to relax, which relieves tension and stress. When your muscles are warm, you may also experience a slightly better range of motion.
Benefits of Alternating Ice and Heat for an Injury
Both ice and heat can help you heal from a car accident injury. Alternating ice and heat can help provide alternate approaches to neck pain relief or pain relief in general. You may find that you experience more pain relief with ice than with heat, but the benefits of both help to address inflammation and stimulate your body’s healing responses. First, apply ice wrapped in a towel or a cold pack to the injury site. This will help reduce inflammation in the area for the first 24 to 72 hours after the initial injury occurred. Once you have noticed a decrease in swelling, you can safely apply heat to the injured area to increase blood flow and soothe aching muscles.
Pain Management and Common Car Accident Injuries
Applying ice and heat after a car accident can be an effective pain management tool for these common car accident injuries:
Whiplash
The most common of all car accident injuries, whiplash can cause pain and other symptoms in the head, neck, and upper back. Muscle strains in the neck due to whiplash can cause inflammation, which applying ice can help with. After a few days, your neck may become stiff and sore, so applying heat can help soothe and release tension.
Back Pain
Back pain is a common symptom for a variety of injuries after a car accident. The sudden force of impact on your vehicle can cause your body to get jolted and jostled around, causing damage to your spine, muscles, and other soft tissues. Alternating ice and heat while you recover can be effective for pain management.
Disc Herniation
A herniated disc can also occur with a car accident injury. The spinal discs help provide a cushion between vertebrae, so when one becomes damaged, it can cause painful symptoms and affect nearby nerves. Ice can act as an anti-inflammatory, while heat can act as a natural muscle relaxer.
Treatment for a Car Accident Injury
Meet with a car accident doctor to find out more about effective pain management options as you heal from an injury. Visit The Accident Doctors to find a car accident doctor near you!
