Context:
The effectiveness of thermal modalities on pain relief should be short lived.
Objective:
To examine the effectiveness of hot and cold gel packs in reducing de-layed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) 30 min after treatment.
Design:
Participants performed eccentric contractions of the nondominant elbow flexors, returned 48 hr later, and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (n = 17–18 per group): a 20-min application of a hot, cold, or room-temperature gel pack or no treatment.
Measures:
Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) before and 48 hr after exercise and 30 min after the treatment.
Results:
All groups demonstrated a significant (P < .05) elevation in their VAS 48 hr after the exercise, 0.10 ± 0.04 cm (initial) vs. 3.27 ± 0.24 cm (48 hr later). Only the hot-pack treatment group indicated a significant (P < .05) reduction in pain: 1.66 ± 0.30 cm (after treatment).
Conclusion:
Superficial heat can attenuate DOMS 30 min after treatment.
