The eternal question
I'm often asked this question.
The heat creates "vasodilation", i.e. it dilates the blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the tissues. Sounds fantastic! But as with everything in life, it's fantastic, but not in all situations!
HEAT is a great ally in contractures, excess muscle tension and postural pain.
In inflammatory situations such as twisting a foot, banging your knee or shoulder tendonitis, ICE will be your best friend! It will reduce the blood supply and control the inflammatory response. When placed in the first 72 hours, it will make all the difference to the prognosis!
In either case, studies indicate that the duration of the application should not exceed 20 minutes.
Of course, it's not always easy to classify the state of the injury and sometimes this requires a professional assessment
In my clinical practice, I always use these remedies as home tips instead of creams. And the results are always more satisfactory... and cheaper!
EN 
PT