ice and heat
 

Hi All,

Just a quick question. I ice and heat my neck all day everyday. I am at the point where I am wondering I am doing this too much???
My schedule normally follows.
Wake up, Heat pack straight away. Get to work, heat pack for 20 mins. Then rest 20 mins, then Ice 10 mins. Then rest 20 mins, then heat 20 ins, ice 20 mins, rest 20 mins, and so on.

I am overdoing it?! When I wake up my neck doesn’t feel too bad, so should I leave it until I am in pain??

Just looking for advice.

I am 9 months PCS, with my symptoms fast dismissing. The only symptoms I have left are tight head muscles, neck pain and occasional headaches back of head.

Why are you using a heat pack ?

It helps with relaxing my muscles, and I am told to use it after a massage.

Should I not use it?

You need to decide if you are focused on reducing inflammation or reducing muscle tension. I wonder if the massage is helping or hurting. If the massage is deep tissue, it may be counter productive. If inflammation is causing the muscle tension, then you are going in circles. Joint soft tissue does not heal with inflammation present because it causes undue tension.

The massage may be like range of motion therapy at a physical therapist. If the ROM exercise makes the joint sore and inflamed, it goes against healing.

Myofacial release therapy causes the muscles to release without the deep tissue trauma. It can be very helpful. Icing after MFRT is not uncommon.

Massage is often intended to cause fluid to flow through the muscles to effect recovery from strenuous use. The heat would be to continue the fluid flow to assist in the recovery.

You should discuss these issues with your therapist(s).

Hi mark,

what I gather from that is to stop using the heatpack all togther, which ill give a go. and to loosen off on the massgages?