I think it's different for everyone, so try both. If my hands are swollen, I generaaly use ice. If they hurt, I use heat. If they are both, I sometimes do both, alternating every hour.

lately mine have been swollen and feel like there on fire, so I treat them like a burn...with ice pack, it relieves the pain ever so slightly but enough to get through for awhile. but if there swollen and ichy and throbbing, I like putting a analgesic cream and some warmth of some source, like a electric hand warmer or hot water bottle or sometimes just socks on my hands and it helps me. hugs Tina

For me it's heat all the way... Warmer water then lotion warmed and then gloves, even in the house.. If it's the body hurting, I get into a hot shower or the whirlpool tub.. Not unusual for me to be in a HOT shower in the wee morning hours.... Good Luck

Definitely heat unless the flare gives me a lot of hot swelling. That usually only happens with my knee. Then I ice. Everything else gets a hot shower, warm blanket and then my heated rice bag.

I use heat most of the time. I too can be found in a hot shower at in the wee hours...and not unusual to do it multiple times. I have a heated mattress cover that also helps a little with stiffness. i do use ice packs on my knee and when my neck is causing a headache i use icepack to kinda numb it and it lessens the headach(usually)

Definitely ice. If it's muscular pain I'll use heat, but if it's joints and swelling then definitely ice. I have ice cubes in plastic bags in the freezer so I can put them on my fingers when I'm in bed.

when my hands are really painful I soak them in warm water. it really seems to help.

Definitely heat for me, but then again I also have Raynaud's so ice is not really an option especially if my hands are acting up.