Bring your work to you. Feel the aches and pains. Then do something about it. I do not recommend cold packs but prefer using ice massage for only two minutes. Ice can interrupt the inflammation very quickly and it does not cause congestion.
Hot packs are fine.
Heat increases circulation immediately. The only trouble with heat is that it can cause congestion. Do not use heat for longer than 10 minutes or it can make things worse. In one sense it doesn't matter if you use heat or cold. In reality, it is nice if you can use cold because it breaks up the inflammation faster.