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To Ice or Heat a Pulled Muscle

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It’s all about timing. When you first sustain the injury you should ice the affected area for up to 20 minutes every hour for the first 24 hours. Always place a cloth or some shield between the skin and ice – never place ice directly on the skin. Obviously rest the affected area as much as possible.

After 24 hours if you have no relief or the pain seems to be getting worse, see a doctor to rule out a tear or more serious injury. Once he rules out anything else, you can continue to ice for another day and then begin to alternate heat and ice as you nurse the injury. When you are finally able to return to normal activities or exercise always remember to warm up the area with gentle movement and then stretch. If you exercise, you should also stretch more fully at the end of a workout.

Any exercise class that immediately begins the class with stretching has an outdated approach. New guidelines recommend warming up for 5-10 minutes and then gently stretching before continuing your full workout. At the end of class there should be a cool down and a more extended stretching period.