Should I ice my injury or heat it? This is what the experts advise when it comes to treating pain

Riding a bike results in fewer injuries than impact sports, but niggles can still creep in. Here's what to do when body parts start to ache.

Cyclist holding his back in pain
(Image credit: Future)

We've all put an ice pack - or packet of frozen peas - on a bumped head, and anyone who has completed a first aid course will have heard of the acronym ICE; meaning ice, constrict and elevate, but what about heat packs. And what about treating an injury by alternating hot and cold?

We spoke to Dan Guillemette, specialist cycling physiotherapist at Marylebone Health and head physiotherapist at Jayco Alula. Guillemette has overseen injury management Tour de France winners, and Olympic champions.

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Rob Kemp
Freelance Writer

Rob Kemp is a London-based freelance journalist with 30 years of experience covering health and fitness, nutrition and sports sciences for a range of cycling, running, football and fitness publications and websites. His work also appears in the national press and he's the author of six non-fiction books. His favourite cycling routes include anything along the Dorset coast, Wye Valley or the Thames, with a pub at the finish.

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