Ice vs. heat for aches - 14 News, WFIE, Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

You've heard of using a bag of frozen peas for an ice pack, but Wellness Expert Peggy Hall has got something even better! She calls it her "miracle ice massage" for everyday aches and pains.

Instead of trying to deal with a cumbersome ice pack or a frozen bag of peas, do this instead:

• Take an ice cube and wrap one end in a dish cloth to catch the drips.
  Massage the ice directly on your sore spot, using a circular motion. This especially works well on areas like the shoulder, wrist, elbow or knee. Take care not to press too hard if it hurts!
  

The reason the "miracle ice massage" works better than just plopping on a bag of peas is because:

• The massaging action helps to reduce inflammation better than just ice alone, thus speeding healing!
• You don't run the risk of frost bite or tissue damage, which can happen when your skin goes numb and you leave the ice pack for too long
• When the ice cube melts, the treatment is done! No need to worry about leaving the ice on too long.

Peggy recommends that you repeat this treatment three times a day for best results.

If you're wondering whether heat is more effective than ice when it comes to aches and pains, Peggy says that heat treatments can also be effective, once you bring down the swelling with the ice. Peggy suggests alternating the ice cube massage with about 10 minutes of a heating pad a couple of times a day until you feel relief.

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