Instant Arthritis Pain Relief with Hot And Cold Therapy
You may already utilize hot and cold techniques when you are in pain, but when it comes to arthritis pain, there’s nothing that works more quickly or more efficiently than applying different temperatures to the afflicted joints.
Hot And Cold Compress for Arthritis Pain Relief
The idea behind these two relief techniques is that when you apply heat to an affected area, it can help the muscles and other connective tissue to relax and to release tension. This also reduces the blood flow to the area as your body does not need to warm that body any more with excessive blood circulation.
Hot and Cold Compress for Arthritis
On the other hand, when you apply cold to an area, you are helping to numb the pain and the aches of that part of your body. And since you are cooling that part of your body, it actually increases the blood flow to the area as your body responds to an upset in the normal temperature.
There are a number of different ways you can apply heat to a particular joint area or to your body as a whole:
- Warm baths and showers
By allowing the body to soak or to be drenched in very warm to hot water, you will begin to feel instant relief. This is especially helpful first thing in the morning when your joints are often at their stiffest and most achy.
- Jacuzzi tubs
If you can get in and out of a whirlpool sort of bath, they can be quite helpful and relaxing. Not only are you immersed in hot water, but the jets of the bath can help to knead away any other tension in your body that might contribute to your arthritis pain.
- Heating pads
If you have a specific area that you would like to warm up, heating pads are easy to plug in and use anywhere. With different settings, you can customize your heat level to your pain level.
- Hot water bottles
Akin to heating pads, these hot water bottles can be placed over your clothing and near the affected area to help control the pain and stiffness.
- Warm clothing
To help keep your body warm and relaxed during the day, it can help to wear layers of clothing to hold in body heat. If this begins to be uncomfortable, you can easily remove these layers.
- Warm bed sheets
If you want to make your night time pain easier to handle, warm sheets like flannel sheets can help retain body heat.
Things to keep in mind when you use heat:
- Do not use heat therapy for more than 30 minutes at a time.
- Talk with your doctor if you are on any medications.
- Make sure your skin is clean and dry
For some, the application of cold works better to help numb excessive pain as well as to help reduce swelling around the joints, which can also lead to pain.
Here are some ways you can add cold treatments to your life:
- Use regular ice packs and gel packs
These first aid treatments can also work well when placed inside a towel and then put on the affected area.
- Try bags of frozen vegetables
If you don’t have an ice pack around, a back of frozen peas will work just as well.
- Use cold water tubs
Instead of immersing your entire body in an icy bath, dip the affected body part into cooler water.
Things to keep in mind when you use cold:
- Do not use cold treatments for more than 30 minutes at a time.
- Make sure your skin is clean and unbroken
- Never apply cold directly to the skin. Always use a towel or some other item as a barrier.
With either heat or cold therapy, you need to make sure you check your skin afterwards to make sure it’s still healthy. If you notice any purpling of your skin that does not go away, or redness that does not diminish, you may need to talk to your doctor about a potential injury.
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