A new study suggests neither heat nor cold are effective in providing immediate relief for back and neck pain.

Reuters reports that researchers at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York studied 60 emergency room patients with minor neck or back strain. All of the subjects were given ibuprofen and were randomly assigned to use either heat or cold therapy for 30 minutes to manage their pain.

After using a standard pain-rating scale to gauge their relief, they found that neither the heat nor cold therapy was helpful for pain relief. The study’s lead author, Gregory Garra, D.O., told Reuters that the relief patients experienced may have been caused by the ibuprofen rather than the other therapies.

Dr. Garra also said that even though the study did not prove that heat or cold are good immediate pain relievers, individuals who do not want to take conventional medications may still get some relief with their use. He says a "placebo effect" – when a patient perceives less pain because they’ve done something – could come into play.

"It doesn’t matter which one you choose – heat or ice," he told the news provider. "If there’s a placebo effect – then great. They are unlikely to do you any harm."