I often hear this question.
Most people know that applying heat or cold can be beneficial but they are not
sure when to use what. In this post I will try to answer this question. Let’s start
with cold therapies.
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Hot or cold?
One simple
thing to remember:
Touch the area of pain or injury.
If it is warmer than the
rest of
your body don’t put heat on it. Use cold.
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Using
cold
Cold
therapy is commonly used during the first 48 hours of an injury (presence of
inflammation). The application of cold can take many forms: cold packs, cold
cloth, crushed ice compress, and ice baths. When cold therapy (also called cryotherapy) is used, the blood vessels narrow, which will decrease the blood
flow to the injured area, thus reducing the swelling. By its numbing effect,
cryotherapy also reduces pain. In addition, cold can help ease a muscle spasm.
Use
cold safely
-
Use it for an average of 20 minutes (don’t exceed 30 minutes). Wait a minimum
of two hours before reapplying cold to allow the skin to regain normal
temperature and prevent frostbite.
- Wrap the ice packs in a
towel before applying to skin.
- The normal sensations are
in this sequence: cold, burning, aching, numb.
When to not use cold
- If you feel your heart
racing with a cold application.
- On open or infected wounds.
- When there is already numbness
in the skin.
- With Poor circulation.
Hot therapy
 |
Moist heat (wet cloth, warm
bath)
is more effective than dry heat.
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Heat is indicated in
sub-acute and chronic conditions (after 48hrs when there is no more swelling).
The heat (applied through electric pads, hot water bottles, hot gel packs, or
via a warm bath) dilates blood vessels, which promotes an increased blood
flow. This will bring nutrients and
oxygen helping with the healing process. It also help to decrease pain, muscle
spasm and tightness, and joint stiffness. Moist heat (wet warmed cloth, warm
bath) is more efficient than dry heat because it reaches deeper within the body
tissues.
Heating up carefully
- Put a towel between the
hot pack and the skin to prevent skin irritation and burns.
- Apply hot packs for 15
minutes (20 minutes maximum).
- If you experience strong
discomfort, discontinue treatment.
- Don’t sleep with it.
When to avoid heat
- During the acute phase (if
the zone is warm to touch don’t heat it)
- Impaired circulation.
- On injured skin (bruised
areas).
- Decreased sensation to
heat.
- Infected areas.
- Areas of numb skin
Alternating cold and hot
Passed the acute phase (only
cold), you can do a session of alternating cold and hot. Try two minutes hot
followed by two minutes cold and repeat 6 times. That will help to stimulate
circulation. It will flush the waste material and bring the elements necessary for
healing. I like this third option.
Now that you have the basics
you can safely use this effective thermal therapy. If you have any questions,
feel free to ask them in the comment box.
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