# Treating a sore muscle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 14, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428 "2007-11-14T21:55:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428/1 "2007-11-14T21:55:28Z")

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In the case of sore muscles, I’ve been told to use an ice pack or a heating pad. Why would seemingly opposite treatments (cold vs. heat) both promote healing? Or don’t they?

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**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428/2 "2007-11-14T21:58:36Z")

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Heat increases blood flow to the area. Cold decreases it. It depends on the injury which is better. For example, if the muscle is pulled, blood will tend to flow into the tears and coagulate. So, for a tear, cold is usually applied. OTOH, if it’s just soreness, you want more blood flow in the area to flush out lactic acid buildup.

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**Author:** ![Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shelf_stable_at_room_temperatu)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428/3 "2007-11-14T22:04:35Z")

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Ice first, to prevent swelling. Heat later, after the area has stabalize and no more blood is seeping into the space between the tissues.

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**Author:** ![Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shelf_stable_at_room_temperatu)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428/4 "2007-11-14T22:07:06Z")

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Your best bet for online help is [Merck Manuals Consumer Version](http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html)  
For official medical studies, kind of tough reading: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)

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**Author:** ![Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shelf\_stable\_at\_room\_temperatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shelf_stable_at_room_temperatu)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treating-a-sore-muscle/426428/5 "2007-11-14T22:09:30Z")

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Specifically [Time Course of Dying - Fundamentals - Merck Manuals Consumer Version](http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec01/ch007/ch007b.html#sec01-ch007-ch007b-273)