Arthritis Pain Relief - Which is Better, Hot Or Cold?

Knowing whether to use heat therapy or cold therapy to reduce arthritis pain
and joint stiffness comes down to the type of arthritis and the type of pain
you have. Since everyone experiences and responds to pain differently, it is
important that you discuss a pain management plan with your doctor. You may
have to try several things to see what works.

When to Use Ice to Treat Arthritis Pain

According to Dr. Kevin Sperber, Board Certified Pain Management Specialist at
Columbia University, "As a general rule of thumb, ice is best for soft tissue
injuries such as bruises, sprains or acute trauma. Cold therapy may also be
helpful if you experience a flare of pain after activity. Cold acts as an
analgesic by numbing the sore area and can also drastically reduce swelling
and discomfort."

Traditionally, doctors recommend cold packs be applied for only 10-20 minutes
at a time. Be careful though! With prolonged application of cold you could
hurt yourself, especially if you have sensory problems or impaired vascular
circulation in your hands and feet.

When to Use Heat to Treat Arthritis Pain

Doctors and therapists recommend therapeutic heat more often than cold to
soothe arthritis pain because it relaxes sore tendons and ligaments,
increasing flexibility and decreasing pain. Heat also increases blood flow
and improves joint range of motion.

So why the debate over hot or cold? Dr. Sperber says that for acute injuries
(sprains, strains, etc.) just about everyone recommends ice, but for chronic
conditions, like arthritis, both cold and heat can help to reduce
inflammation, so it may come down to what feels better.

As for how heat should be used, there are competing problems. The trick is to
get enough heat into the tissue, for long enough, without burning your skin.
For example, hands heat up fairly easily because the tissue is not "deep",
but for deep tissue pain, in the hip for instance, you may need to apply a
lower temperature for a longer time. There are specific products that address
these issues and each product comes with recommended time usage guidelines.

Most Popular Cold Therapy Products:

* Frozen Gel Cold Packs. Save your frozen peas and use a pliable, reusable
"ice pack" instead. ColPaC makes them in lots of sizes and shapes. Keep ice
packs in the freezer and they'll be ready whenever you have a flare-up.
Remember to use layers of dry terry toweling between the cold pack and your
skin.

* Biofreeze. This topical pain reliever is highly recommended for temporary
relief of arthritis, tendonitis and fybromyalgia. You can order it in a tube,
roll-on, spray or gel pump.

Most Popular Hot Therapy Products:

* Whirlpool Spa or Hot Tub. For most arthritis sufferers, hydrotherapy is the
ultimate heat therapy. For a fraction of the cost of installing a permanent
spa you can have a portable, inflatable whirlpool spa that goes anywhere -
indoors, outdoors, on your patio, deck, RV, condo or apartment. We suggest
the Spa2Go or the Spa-N-A-Box. Both are easy to assemble (20 minutes) and no
special wiring or plumbing is needed.

* Infrared Heat. Sometimes deep penetrating heat is just what you need to
reduce your arthritis pain. The Thermotex Infrared Heating Pad TTS Platinum
model is the most popular model, although there are other Thermotex therapy
systems available. The TTS Platinum is a nice portable size (17" x 15") and
has adjustable straps so you can fit it comfortably almost anywhere on the
body.

* Light Relief Light Therapy. This hand-held device provides topical heating
to raise and/or maintain tissue temperature wherever it is placed. My
grandmother uses it to relieve joint pain and she loves it. It can even help
dogs.

* Paraffin Bath. Dip your hands, feet or elbows in melted paraffin wax and
let the warmth spread through your stiff arthritic joints for fast acting,
drug-free therapy. The most popular one on the market is the Therabath PRO
Paraffin Bath. This unit is large enough to accommodate your hands, feet or
elbows but small enough to fit on your counter. It includes hospital grade
paraffin with your choice of scents.

* Moist Heat. Arthritic and rheumatic pain is often relieved with moist heat.
Moist heat increases blood flow, soothing inflamed joints and increasing
flexibility. Take a look at the Theratherm Digital Electric Moist Heating
Pad, the Thermophore Automatic Moist Heat Pack or the new Thermophore
Arthritis Pad. There is also a Therabeads Moist Heat Mitt that you wear on
your hands.

* Arthritis Gloves. These specially designed arthritis gloves provide mild
compression and warmth for your hands. Some people wear them day and night.
They have open fingertips so your can feel, touch and grip.

Learn more about hot and cold therapy treatments at one place.

Valerie Paxton is a founder and co-owner of the popular internet superstore
http://AllegroMedical.com/

Allegro Medical provides a broad selection of medical supplies and lifestyle
products designed to increase independence and improve lives, including a
full line of arthritis pain relief products.

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