- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
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Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete. In addition to skiing, he is an avid hiker, cyclist and climber.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to a two-year term on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was involved in medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a Web site guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to Mayo Clinic's "Fitness for EveryBody" book.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
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Question
Tendinitis pain: Should I apply ice or heat?
My husband has tendinitis, and his doctor recommended warm compresses for pain. However, your Web site recommends cold compresses for tendinitis pain. Which is better?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
If tendinitis is recent, ice may be a better choice for reducing pain and inflammation. Ice causes narrowing (vasoconstriction) of blood vessels and is helpful in reducing swelling. Reducing swelling also helps reduce the level of some inflammatory substances that can be produced with tissue injury. If tendinitis is long-standing, either heat or ice can help to improve pain.
In general, a new injury to a muscle or joint that causes swelling and pain is best treated with ice. Heat promotes opening (vasodilation) of the blood vessels. This can increase blood flow to an area of chronic injury to promote healing.
Applying heat to a long-term injury to promote blood flow before exercise and ice to the area to reduce swelling after exercise may also be an effective strategy — although there is no strong scientific evidence to support this pattern of use.
