What’s the Best Way to Treat a Workout Injury: Heat or Ice?

“Choose what feels better for you,” Dr. Han said. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen, and physical therapy are the most effective treatments, she added.

Corey Kunzer, a doctor of physical therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said he typically recommended ice at the initial onset of an injury to help with the pain, and that both ice and heat can be helpful. He tends to recommend heat in the morning, when muscles may be stiffer, and ice in the evening.

Ice is the “safest pain medicine available today,” Dr. Mirkin said. But it also reduces inflammation, which is needed for healing, he added.

Mr. Kunzer said, “You want some of that swelling and inflammation because that is what some of the healing process happens with,” he said. “At the same time, you don’t want too much because it can be painful.”

The argument in favor of movement over rest.

Over his nearly two decades of work in physical therapy, Mr. Kunzer said that recommendations have shifted away from immobilization and toward more early movement. “You want to walk that tightrope, that fine line between getting that motion, but also still protecting it,” he said of the injured muscle.

While moving too quickly after an injury can prolong the pain, too much rest can cause stiffening and further loss of strength. He tells patients that exercise is the best medicine and uses the phrase “motion is lotion” to encourage patients to keep moving, particularly when they have conditions like osteoarthritis.

“Be as active as you can for as long as you can, with whatever activities bring you joy,” he said.

The best treatment approach depends on the injury.

The method of recovery that is most appropriate depends on the type of injury, its severity and its location. While many strains heal on their own within a few weeks, more severe ones may need to be immobilized in a cast or may require surgery.