Given the option, which should you use: ice, heat, or some combination of both? This question can be a little complex, but we are going to tackle it in this post. Just to start us off though I have found that it is very difficult to go wrong with ice, whereas with heat there is quite a large margin for error. What it ultimately comes down to is why you are going to use it in the first place.

It is also wise to consider someones personal bias or habits when it comes to different temperatures. By this I mean that if someone hates cold and loves heat, they are going to respond better to their preference. More research needs to be done into why this happens, but it does have an impact on the efficacy of different temperatures with regards to pain management or the rehabilitation of tissues.