I guess I buck traditional wisdom because I tend to stay away from cold. Cold constricts blood vessels, which helps alleviate inflammation. Heat expands the blood vessels, allowing for more blood flow. To me, if there is no inflammation, I pretty much stay away from cold. If your body is damaged, even positive microdamage from working out, why would you withhold blood flow? Increase the bloodflow so that the area can be repaired and has everything it needs to ensure a prompt recovery. With your ankley issue, something might not be right so why withhold the blood that it needs to repair the issue? If there is inflammation then that changes the equation, obviously, but if you don’t see or feel inflammation, my amateur opinion is go for heat and then non-heat.

I think I got the general idea from ChiRunning where Dreyer talks about taking a nice dip in the hot tub after a run to help your body rid itself of metabolic waste products and lactic acid. I have taken that principle and spread it out across the board with my exercise and work routine. First thing I do when I get home is piss and moan about my new job. Second thing I do is jump into the shower so that I can help relax any tight muscles and increase the bloodflow to any sore muscles, especially in my upper back. Increased fresh bloodflow flushes away from the craps that has been sitting in my muscles all day and lets the repairing process begin. As always, check with someone who has studied this stuff for a living rather than is just a nerd like me but that’s what I have picked up.