Hmm, Medline says for tendinitis, heat OR cold

Medline/Tendinitis

 

When my back spasms act up heat works best for me, cold seems to make it worse. Then again I've had people tell me just the opposite.

 

Exactly what I found when searching. Some like heat, some ice.

The arm is better tonight than it was this AM. Progress. I hope.

 

Lainey,
even if it starts feeling better try not to use it for a while.
really give it a rest.

 

The idea is to use RICE -- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation in order to keep the blood out of the injury. That's because the bleeding (which causes the inflamation) can do more damage than the initial injury.

However, at some point the damaged capilaries seal back up, and the inflamation danger ends. At that point heat is used to increase the blood flow. Ultimately you need the oxygen and glucose from the blood to heal the injury.

So RICE until the inflamation risk has abated, and then heat for the healing.

 

Yes.

 

Arm is a bit better today. I'm sticking with ice for now, as I was on the go today.

I ran it by the nurse at an appointment today, her opinion is that ice is good if it bothers me after a day at the office, but she didn't say that heat was a "no no" either.

My sister (also a nurse) suggests a bit of alternate heat/icing at this point.

 

drugs FTW

 

Got those too!

 

I'm battling tendinitis in one of my Achilles tendons. My orthopedist didn't recommend heat or cold. Just immobilization and anti-inflammatories.