As Sigung LaBounty likes to say, we get “dents” when we work on each other. Chinese linament, dit da jow, is a good thing to use if you get quality stuff. However, ice or heat or the two wasy we usually treat the dings.
An article in the IDEA Fitness Journal, June 2016 issue, addresses the issue of whether to use ice or heat. Len Kravitz, PhD and exercise researcher at the Univ. of New Mexico in Albuquerque, says either is better than nothing.
He starts by saying delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), what you get after pushing yourself harder than you usually do, starts the next day and peaks on the third day after. I’m sure you’re familiar with that.
Cold minimizes swelling and muscle pain but the optimal amount and duration has not been established. Heat enhances tissue metabolism and speeds recovery, as well as reducing pain. He writes that deep heat (long duration application) is best.
In one study, using no cold or heat, the participants lost 23.8% muscle strength the day after exercise. Immeidate application of heat or cold reduced that number to 4.5%.
One message he ends with is that cold works better than heat for pain. A cold pack applied for 20 minutes immediately after reduces perceived soreness. It tends to constrict blood vessels near the injury and that reduces swelling and inflammation. Good reason to have one in your first aid kit at the studio.