How to apply cold and heat therapy
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
Cold for new injuries, heat for stiffness. Protect the skin either way.
Step by step
Choose
Cold in the first 24 to 48 hours of an injury; heat for chronic stiffness or muscle spasm. [1]
Barrier
Cloth between the pack and the skin. [1]
Time
About 15 to 20 minutes. [1]
Check skin
Every few minutes. [1]
Avoid
Numb areas, poor circulation, open wounds (heat), bleeding (heat). [1]
Record
Time, skin, effect. [1]
Common errors
- Direct ice on skin.
- Heat on a fresh injury.
- Use on numb skin.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
Sources
- Open RN, Nursing Fundamentals 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (reference)
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Facts and steps also follow OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (reference). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.