Finding what works for you.
Similar to showers, everyone has different preference. Some people prefer to relax under the warm shower, there are others whom really enjoy a cold refreshing shower. Both are known to have it's benefits. However, what do we need to look out for?
Try our Far-Infrared heating pads that can help bring pain relief. These products are carefully chosen and tested to ensure they provide results over time.
Cold or Hot Therapy?
Using heat and cold therapy is one of the best ways for you to manage your pain right from the comfort of your home. In addition, this avoids the potential side effects from over the counter pain relievers. Whether you use heat or cold to treat your pain depends mostly on one thing that is when the injury occurred.
Cold Therapy (aka Cryotherapy):
If you have a new injury that is swollen or inflamed, then cold therapy will work best for you.
Cold therapy aids in reducing inflammation, pain, swelling and redness associated within the injury. This is often seen in any sports sprains where the first aider will rush to the injured sport athlete with ice packs to numb the pain. It also slows the blood vessel and reduces the fluid buildup at the site of the injury.
Cold treatment can help the following:
osteoarthritis
a recent injury
gout
strains
migraine
Cold therapy is not suitable when:
there is an injury with a risk of cramping
the injury is already numb
there is an open wound or blistered skin
the person with a nerve disorder
the person is hypersensitive to cold
Do NOT apply directly to the skin, as this may damage body tissues and possibly lead to frostbite.
Hot Therapy:
If your injury is more than a day old, then heat therapy will work best for you. Unlike cold therapy, heat therapy speeds up the blood flow boosting the healing process. Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promote blood flow, and help sore and tightened muscles relax.
Improved circulation can help eliminate the buildup of lactic acid waste occurs after some types of exercise. Heat therapy is usually more effective than cold at treating chronic muscle pain or sore joints caused by arthritis and the following.
osteoarthritis
strains and sprains
warming up stiff muscles, tendons or tissue
relieving pain or spasms relating to neck or back injury
Previous studies had shown that, low heat treatments relieve pain more effectively than over the counter oral medications.
When not to use heat?
Heat is not suitable for all injury types. Heat treatment should be avoided if it fits any of the below examples:
the skin is inflamed, burnt or infected
the person has dermatitis, fresh injuries or open wound
the area is numb
the person that is insensitive to heat due to peripheral neuropathy or a similar condition
Never use extreme heat and cold directly on the skin. If you are still unsure on which therapy to adopt, one approach is to try your preferred method and if it is not healing progressively, switch to the another method to find some relief. However, if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or severe pain, please seek the doctor's advice.
Discussion Points:
Which therapy do you prefer? Share with us your remedies!
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