Most professionals have concluded that personal preference may ultimately be the most important aspect that determines which type of therapy will work best for a particular patient - which makes very good sense. If you don't like cold therapy, you won't be as likely to continue using it regularly. If moist heat therapy is difficult or uncomfortable for you, there is a higher chance that you will begin to skip sessions.

A study reported in the December 2006 Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, asked 150 patients visiting a clinic for joint pain to fill out questionnaires regarding their response to treatment with ice or heat. Twenty-six patients indicated that they had never tried ice or heat.

Researchers concluded that a significantly higher percentage of patients with gouty arthritis preferred topical ice for pain relief. Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis preferred heat. View the study here.