alternating heat and cold
Heat and cold as therapy
Hot water bottles and cool packs can relieve pain or treat acute injuries. When does heat help and when does cold work better?
Heat has a healing effect
Heat immediately improves blood flow to the painful area. This relaxes stiff or cramped muscles. This can also be pleasant in the case of arthritis - if there is no additional inflammation.
To relieve pain, heat therapy uses heating pads, warm compresses, cherry stone pillows and the warm water in the shower or bathtub as so-called heat carriers.
The heat should ideally be applied to the affected part of the body two or three times a day for up to 15 minutes each time. Be careful: the temperature should only be hot enough to avoid burning the skin.
Using a heating pad can also be very effective, but safety rules must be observed. Falling asleep while using it should be avoided at all costs, even though models are now available that switch themselves off after a certain time. And you should not lie on a heating pad; instead, the heating pad should be placed on the painful part of the body if possible.
Heat increases blood circulation, which can increase swelling of the tissue in acute injuries such as a sprain or bruise.
Cold helps with inflammation
The body reacts in a variety of ways to certain injuries, such as sprains, bruises or strains. These can be alleviated very well with cold. A damp, cold compress, a cool pack from the freezer, and in an emergency, frozen food from the freezer are ideal cold therapy for optimal initial treatment of inflammation.
When it is cold, the blood vessels immediately contract and the swelling of the injured area is effectively reduced. This means that the effect of the cold is felt primarily, while the effect of the existing pain fades into the background. This is why the application of cold is always part of the initial treatment of injuries.
After an injury, cold applications should be carried out between four and eight times a day for the next 48 hours - until the swelling improves. The cooling should be carried out for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. When using cool packs, the time may need to be shortened somewhat, as this icy cold can damage the tissue if applied for too long. In any case, a cool pack or frozen food should always be wrapped in a cloth before it is placed on the injury.
The PECH rule is a good indication for dealing with injuries
BAD LUCK stands for:
Phome -
Give yourself some time off and rest the injured area for long enough.
Ees -
Cool as quickly as possible
Compression -
bandage the injury and prevent swelling
Hstorage -
Immobilize the injured area and elevate it at heart level to prevent swelling.
alternating heat and cold
The Back pain or other specific illnesses or complaints, it can be very helpful to combine cold and heat.
First, cold therapy is started and then applied several times a day so that the accompanying inflammation subsides more quickly. After two to three days, the cold compresses are then replaced with heat therapy.
Alternating between hot and cold also helps if you suffer from headaches. First, you start with a warm compress that is placed on the neck or the back of the head. After a few minutes, the therapy is continued with a cold compress that is placed on the forehead and temples for about a minute. These applications are repeated as often as necessary.
Painkiller
The combined heat and cold therapy is usually successful and relieves the symptoms. However, if it is not sufficient, it can be combined with Doctor prescribed, over-the-counter painkillers. However, if symptoms worsen or persist for more than three to four days, medical advice should be sought again. It is also advisable to regularly complete health check to detect and eliminate weak points in the body in advance.