Ice Packs or Heat Pads? #SundayScience 
Been meaning to restart #SundayScience for a while; eventually hastened by an injury last week. Gave both the topic and the much-needed break on Sunday 😉
Most of us would have used ice packs or heat pads for pain relief. If you already know when to use cold or hot, see you in next week’s #SundayScience. This edition is for the others 😈
We know the fundamentals, right? Heat opens up the blood vessels, while cold constricts them #SundayScience
The result? Heating brings more blood to the area where it’s applied; while ice slows the flow, reducing the swelling caused by the blood that may have rushed in immediately after the injury #SundayScience
So, as a thumb rule, ice is to deal with fresh injuries, while heat is for stiff muscles #SundayScience
Let’s go beyond the thumb now, and understand the science basics #SundayScience
When injured, chemicals from the body's white blood cells are released into the blood or affected tissues to protect the body from foreign substances #SundayScience
The release of chemicals increases the blood flow to the injured area, resulting in redness and warmth. Some of the chemicals cause a leak of fluid into the tissues, causing swelling #SundayScience
Swelling is thus a natural response to an injury as the body rushes blood to the affected area to help heal it. This protective process may stimulate nerves and cause pain #SundayScience
Ice pack eases pain by numbing the affected area. Reduces swelling and inflammation, and bleeding #SundayScience
Ice Pack Therapy is also known as Cryotherapy. Use it for short periods of time, say, 10/15 minutes, to prevent nerve, tissue, and skin damage. But, can be done several times a day, giving a break for an hour or two #SundayScience
Although I called this ice pack, there are other ways to apply cold temperatures to the injured area, such as frozen gel packs, coolant sprays etc. #SundayScience
Let’s turn the heat on, now! #SundayScience
Hot Bag should never be placed on an injury that is less than 3-4 days old. Also called thermotherapy, heating is for post acute phase of healing #SundayScience
Heat creates higher tissue temperatures, which produces vasodilation that increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients and the elimination of carbon dioxide and metabolic waste #SundayScience
Vasodilation is the technical word for widening of blood vessels. It results from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, in particular in the large veins, large arteries, and smaller arterioles #SundayScience
Thermotherapy also increases the extensibility of collagen tissues, relieving the stiffness in joints. Heat therapy reduces pain and relieves muscle spasms #SundayScience
Heat therapy can use either dry heat and moist heat. Although I am calling it hit and heat, you should aim for “warm” as the ideal temperature 😊 #SundayScience
Dry heat, or “conducted” heat includes sources like heating pads, dry heating packs, and even saunas #SundayScience
Moist heat, or “convected” heat includes sources like steamed towels, moist heating packs, or hot baths #SundayScience
Deep-seated tissue can be treated with shortwave, microwave, and ultrasonic waves, which produce high temperatures that penetrate deeper #SundayScience
Heat therapy should not be used if the affected area is either bruised or swollen, or has an open wound. Dial cold on those occasions 😊 #SundayScience
The usual disclaimer: These few tweets are just to bring you the basics, do consult a doctor whether you have to deal with the acute or the obtuse 😜 #SundayScience
See you next week, hopefully, with another edition of #SundayScience 👋
#Telugu Poem by @ivak99 on today's #SundayScience feature #IcePackOrHotBag #సండేసైన్సుదశకం
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పట్టేస్తే కండరాలు పెట్టాలోయ్ కాపడాలు
కొట్టేస్తే గట్టిదెబ్బ కట్టాలోయ్ హిమఖండలు
రట్టడి కట్టడిచేసే వాటమైన సాధనాలు
దిట్టంగా రెంటినింట పెట్టుకుంటె సుఖశాంతులు!
