Ice or heat?

[luvwinnie]

Woke up with tremendous shoulder/should blade/neck pain on left side now going to sternum at times...I THINK it's just a muscle problem (and not my psoriatic arthritis), like I slept wrong. Took 2 Aleve so far. Any other ideas that might help? Ice? heat? I had to come to work too. UGH.

 

[Christine]

According to my doctor, you should use ice immediately after the injury for a 24 hour period. After that, you switch to heat.

I have a chronic back problem now and I always use heat because I am no longer "injuring" it and the heat helps. If I exercise and I pull it, then I use ice for awhile.

 

[chesirechik]

Ice is for the first 24-48 hours of an injury, then you switch to heat.

Hope you feel better!