Two weeks on applying both should be fine I would think... I would recommend oral and topical Traumeel (or if not Arnica Montana).. I think cold and hot would be fine second day in most cases...

Some schools of thought go straight to heat. In the West we go straight to cold.

Ice is big and does some good stuff but so does heat... I think there are benefits to letting or assisting the body in its processes. Inflammation is a heat process and is not a bad thing - it is the body's way of dealing with some things, just like a fever (as long as not too high) its stupid, in my opinion, to suppress it. Most western med is about stopping natural normal body signals and processes instead of balancing the underlying cause.

I have heard damn good and clear arguments for both. Western ice it angle, when going deep into physiology and what is going on deeper etc - makes sense. The Eastern heat and allowing the body to do its own thing also makes sense.

I'd prob start with ice and then go to both... I wonder if in the west there is too much yang (heat) and the body over reacts (too much swelling - bring it down) first.

I would say ice first... I just try to be open and also heat still makes sense to me and I have had great results with.