Swelling is a typical physical response to injury or inflammation. Swelling might cause pain in the affected area and limit your range of motion. As a result, understanding how to cope with swelling and lessen any discomfort it may cause is important. A popular method of treating swelling is with heat or ice. While some believe that applying heat to the affected area will reduce swelling, others believe that ice is more effective. However, whether heat improves or worsens swelling is debatable.