Thanks Lori,

Yeah if a muscle gets strained, it's usually best to apply ice first to keep swelling at bay. Once the muscle starts to heal, usually 2 days, heat can help by brining in blood.

I'm not familiar with inflammation from an infection, but it makes sense if the infection is localized in, say a hand or foot, ice can then be used to reduce that inflammation.

And I'm pretty sinewy myself, so ice is very uncomfortable at first, and then my body adjusts.

I had a very good chiropractor many years ago who always used ice to treat muscle and joint pain, never heat, so I'm biased!

Joe