Sore Muscles & Heat

By Sunshine Kahmann, DC, IBCLC

We all love heat, especially in the cold Minnesota weather, but heat doesn’t always love us and a little bit goes a long way. If you have a new injury, or an exacerbation to a chronic issue it is best if you stick with ice. I usually recommend 10-15 minutes of ice every hour per area of injury. The biggest mistakes people make with heat are using electric or dry heat, using it for too long, and using it too soon. Moist heat may be applied to sore muscles as long as there has not been a recent flare of inflammation and no visible swelling, this is generally 48 hours after the start of pain. Heat should not be applied longer than 20 minutes. Heating longer than 20 minutes, or using heat too soon will increase the pain level substantially 48 hours post application. That means that it feels good at the time, but increases pain overall. As our weather turns even colder, use your car seat warmers sparingly, especially if they extend up the lumbar spine. Call Ambient at 269-3131 with questions.