Nicole,

I usually recommend switching between ice and heat with reoccurring muscle strain injuries, especially in the legs, shoulders, and arms. Alternating ice and heat helps to lower inflammation (and pain) while helping to loosen muscles at the same time. Athletes and people that have high physical demands at home or work greatly benefit from this. Issues like tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome also respond well to doing this.

I always recommend using ice before heat. Usually, I do two back-to-back cycles of 10 minutes of ice, followed by 10 minutes of heat. I then repeat this 2-3x a day for the first 24-48 hours after a injury. After that, 1-2 times a day is plenty until the swelling has improved and the pain has decreased.

Great question!

Dr. Mike