Healthline.com
1. Chicken soup...effective for reducing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections in particular...
2. Ginger...may help soothe a cough or sore throat...
3. Honey...has a variety of antibacterial and antimicrobial properties...
4. Garlic...
5. Echinacea...
6. Vitamin C...
7. Probiotics...
8. Salt water...
Learn More...Mayoclinic.org
1. Stay hydrated...water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration...
2. Rest...your body needs to heal...
3. Soothe a sore throat...
4. Combat stuffiness...
5. Relieve pain...
6. Sip warm liquids...
7. Add moisture to the air...
Learn More...Medicalnewstoday.com
1. Zinc...prevents rhinovirus...
2. Honey...allow it to fight some bacteria and viruses...
3. Echinacea...help prevent colds and relieve nasal symptoms...
4. Garlic...it has antibacterial and antiviral properties...
5. Menthol...
6. Vitamin D...
7. Oregano oil...
8. Reducing stress and sleeping well...
Learn More...Should I use hot or cold therapy?
Heat boosts the flow of blood and nutrients to an area of the body. It often works best for morning stiffness or to warm up muscles before activity. Cold slows blood flow, reducing swelling and...
When to use cold or heat therapy?
When To Use Heat vs Cold Therapy For Pain Relief
- Cold Therapy. As the name suggests, cold therapy (also known as ice therapy or cryotherapy) uses cold temperatures to help relieve pain.
- Heat Therapy. Often preferred by most people due to its immediate comfort, heat therapy treatment involves applying heat to the impacted area and allowing the muscles to loosen up, which ...
- Conclusion. ...
What are the benefits of hot and cold therapy?
Tips and Warnings for Using Cold Therapy
- If you have circulation problems, you should avoid using cold therapy.
- Excessive use of cold therapy can cause tissue damage. ...
- If your skin becomes bright red, blotchy, blistered or numb, remove the cold pack immediately.
- Do not use ice packs around the side or front of your neck.
How to apply alternating hot and cold therapy?
- Place a warm towel or cloth just between the skin and the hot therapy heat source for preventing burns.
- Ensure that temperature is not too hot, as it may put you at the risk of developing skin burns.
- Avoid applying heat for more than 20 minutes or longer at a time.
- Never apply hot pads or other heating tools to an injured or cut skin.
How long do you alternate heat and ice?
The key is to ice for 20 minutes, causing the vessels to narrow, and then heat for 15 minutes, causing the vessels to dilate. This acts as a pumping mechanism to the inflammation, pushing it away from the injured area.
How do you do cold and hot therapy?
Basic heat therapy, or thermotherapy can involve the use of a hot water bottle, pads that can be heated in a microwave, or a warm bath. For cold therapy, or cryotherapy, a water bottle filled with cold water, a pad cooled in the freezer, or cool water can be used.
What comes first hot or cold treatment?
Use cold therapy for the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury, and then switch to heat therapy to stimulate blood flow and healing.
How do you use a hot and cold therapy pack?
0:452:21Reusable Cold & Hot Gel Pack + Tips on When to Use Ice vs. Heat TherapyYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipArea use in 20 minute increments or as medically prescribed allowing your skin to warm beforeMoreArea use in 20 minute increments or as medically prescribed allowing your skin to warm before reapplying. Return gel pack to freezer between uses. For best heating results.
How often should I alternate heat and ice?
Duration varies with technique; usually 20 to 30 minutes per session. (See “Options for applying ice.”) Ice may continue to be useful in treatment as long as there is pain, swelling, inflammation, or spasm. There is no need to switch to heat after 48 hours or alternate between ice and heat.
How do you do heat therapy at home?
A wet dishcloth Place a wet dishcloth in a freezer bag and heat it in a microwave. First, make sure that the bag is microwave safe. Wrap the hot pack in a towel and place it on the affected area for 15–20 minutes at a time.
What are the three important rules of using heat and cold therapy?
Keep heat applications under 20 minutes unless otherwise directed. Do not apply heat if there is swelling around the injury. Cold therapy should be applied first. Patients with poor circulation or diabetes should avoid hot therapy.
Should I ice or heat before bed?
“Ice is a great choice for the first 72 hours after an injury because it helps reduce swelling, which causes pain. Heat, on the other hand, helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles. However, neither option should be used for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.”
Why do you alternate hot and cold?
In some cases, such as exercise-induced injuries or pain or osteoarthritis, alternating between heat therapy and cold therapy is most effective. The cold therapy causes the blood vessels to contract and reduce circulation, therefore decreasing pain. Removing the cold causes the veins to expand, increasing circulation.
Where do you put hot and cold compresses?
Though both can reduce pain in joints and tissues, ice packs decrease blood flow, and warm compresses increase it. Cold compresses are useful for decreasing inflammation, while warm compresses are good for conditions like stiff tendons or relieving pain in the lower back.
How do you alternate ice and heat for back pain?
Use cold first and then apply heat for acute back pain. Lowering the body temperature will help constrict the blood vessels, reduce swelling, decrease inflammation, and cause a numbing effect. Once the inflammation has subsided, use heat therapy.
What are the benefits of hot and cold therapy?
Heat boosts the flow of blood and nutrients to an area of the body. It often works best for morning stiffness or to warm up muscles before activity. Cold slows blood flow, reducing swelling and pain. It's often best for short-term pain, like that from a sprain or a strain.
How does cold and hot therapy work?
The process of hot and cold therapy should always start as soon after the injury is sustained as possible in order to get to work on the knocks, aches, pain and stiffness. Cryotherapy (to use the official title for ice or cold therapy), works by reducing the blood flow to the affected area of the body to significantly reduce any inflammation ...
What are the benefits of hot and cold?
To summarise, the main benefits of hot and cold treatment include: Fast and effective relief from pain. Reduction of swelling or stiffness in the joints. Speeds up the healing process.
How to treat a swollen ear?
Here’s a five-step overview of what you need to do: 1 Get yourself comfortable and, where possible, raise the affected area before applying the first round of ice therapy to the injury for approximately two minutes. 2 While it’s not the nicest of treatments, it is important to leave the ice on for as long as possible, before swapping for the heat therapy for two minutes. 3 When the first round of hot and cold treatment has been completed it’s important that you do not stop there. The first round starts the process but you should repeat the cycle three times and always finish with cold therapy. 4 After three rounds of the treatment you should return your ice pack to the freezer and allow your heat treatment to cool. 5 You can then repeat the three-round cycle throughout the day in order to maximise its impact and to reduce the pain and swelling as quickly as possible.
How many rounds of ice pack for a swollen ear?
After three rounds of the treatment you should return your ice pack to the freezer and allow your heat treatment to cool. You can then repeat the three-round cycle throughout the day in order to maximise its impact and to reduce the pain and swelling as quickly as possible.
What is heat therapy?
Heat treatments are used mostly when it comes to musculoskeletal injuries, such as pulled muscles and any pain in the joints. There are a number of different ways to use heat therapy ranging from quick-fixes like Deep Heat spray to more long-term treatments such as heat packs that can be applied to areas such as the lower back to provide therapeutic heat throughout the day to restore movement.
How long does an ice pack stay cold?
This starts a chemical reaction that instantly makes the pack cold. The Instant Ice Pack stays cold for 15 to 20 minutes, making it ideal for the early treatment of sports injuries.
What is ice treatment?
This form of treatment is typically used on impact injuries such as blows to the head or knocks to the fingers. Ice treatments can range from coolant sprays such as Deep Freeze to ice packs and even ice baths in some cases.
What is hot and cold therapy?
Hot and cold therapy is the most common type of non-addictive and non-invasive pain relief therapies for injuries. Learn when and how to use this therapy. Has a weekend of skiing left you sore and stiff?
When to use heat therapy?
Use heat therapy for injuries that are a day or more old, such as muscle spasms, arthritis, chronic muscle pain and chronic joint pain or stiffness.
How to reduce muscle spasms?
Reduce muscle pain and spasms. Reduce bleeding in soft tissues. Reduce pain by numbness in the area. Prevent or reduce swelling and inflammation. Cold therapy may also enhance the effects of other treatments, such as exercise for reducing muscle spasms and pain. By using cold therapy, it will allow better movement.
How does heat therapy help with pain?
This will increase blood flow and supply oxygen and nutrients to the area while reducing pain in joints, relaxing sore muscles, ligaments and tendons. Hot therapy also decreases muscle spasms, increases range of motion, improves flexibility of tendons and ligaments and alleviates pain.
What to do if your skin is red and numb?
If your skin becomes bright red, blotchy, blistered or numb, remove the cold pack immediately. Do not use ice packs around the side or front of your neck. If you suffer from a heart condition, do not use ice packs on your left shoulder.
How long to put ice pack in freezer?
Application of cold therapy has many options. You can use an ice pack, an ice massage, a damp towel placed in a plastic bag and put in the freezer for 15 minutes, a cold gel pack or even frozen vegetables. If using an ice pack, rub a small amount of oil over the area you are treating.
Why do we use cold packs?
The reason for using cold therapy for immediate treatment is to limit the body's response to injury. Cold therapy can: Reduce muscle pain and spasms.
How does cold therapy work?
It works by reducing blood flow to a particular area, which can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling that causes pain, especially around a joint or a tendon. It can temporarily reduce nerve activity, which can also relieve pain.
How long does heat therapy last?
Moderate to severe pain can benefit from longer sessions of heat therapy like warm bath, lasting between 30 minutes and two hours.
What are the different types of heat therapy?
Types. There are two different types of heat therapy: dry heat and moist heat. Both types of heat therapy should aim for “warm” as the ideal temperature instead of “hot.”. Dry heat (or “conducted heat therapy”) includes sources like heating pads, dry heating packs, and even saunas. This heat is easy to apply.
How long should you heat a wound?
Heat applied directly to a local area, like with heating packs, should not be used for more than 20 minutes at a time.
What is the best treatment for stiffness?
Regional treatment is best for more widespread pain or stiffness, and could be achieved with a steamed towel, large heating pad, or heat wraps. Full body treatment would include options like saunas or a hot bath.
What is the best treatment for a swollen muscle?
Sometimes a single treatment will even include both. As a general rule of thumb, use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Use heat for muscle pain or stiffness.
What is the best cold therapy for sprains?
ice massage. ice baths. Other types of cold therapy that are sometimes used include: cryostretching, which uses cold to reduce muscle spasms during stretching. cryokinetics, which combines cold treatment and active exercise and can useful for ligament sprains.
What is heat therapy?
Hot Therapy. Heat therapy is primarily used for taking the edge off of several different kinds of body pain. Those dull, persistent pains that you get with stiffness and cramping, for example. Pain such as soreness from jumping straight back in to exercise and going a little too hard, we’ve all been there.
How does heat therapy work?
Heat therapy works by relieving pain, reducing muscle spasm and improving circulation to the injured area. Heat therapy is able to carry the heat in to the tissue to the depth of around two centimetres with a heat rise of a degree Celsius or two, depending on the method and which body part it’s applied too.
Can you use cold therapy for sensory issues?
People with sensory issues that stop them from feeling certain sensation should not use cold therapy in the home setting as they may not be able to tell if damage is being done. This includes diabetes, which can cause nerve damage and lessened sensitivity.
Is heat a neurological effect?
It’s worth mentioning that there are also the potential neurological effects of heat. The feeling of heat in itself can be reassuring, and reassurance can be analgesic, meaning it can relieve pain. To check out our range of heat packs and rubs, click here.
Can you use cold or hot therapy on a stiff muscle?
Do not use cold therapy on stiff or tight muscles and joints. Heat Therapy is used to relax and sooth sore muscles and to increase range of motion. Do not use Hot Therapy on an injury that is already warm to the touch.
When will hot cold treatment be available in 2021?
July 16, 2021. Most people are aware that the use of hot cold treatment can be very beneficial in treating some musculoskeletal conditions but a lot of people get confused about which one to use and at what stages of rehabilitation should they go from using one to the other?
Is hot cold massage good for you?
Additionally combining hot cold treatment with massage is also very effective. When you physically push fresh blood through the tissues it can start to feel a lot better and accelerate the natural healing and rehabilitation processes.
Can you use hot and cold together?
Hot cold treatment together. Once the initial inflammation has subsided, you can use hot cold treatment together to accelerate the natural healing process. By continuously transitioning from hot to cold you can help to open and close the blood vessels to drive more nutrition and oxygen through to the injury site.
How does cold treatment help with inflammation?
This helps to reduce inflammation by cooling the skin and soft tissues. Cold treatment slows down blood flow and therefore prevents swelling and pain to that area. It is particularly helpful after exercise or therapy.
How does heat work?
Heat comes in the form of heated packs, warm compresses, or hot baths. Heat treatment warms up the skin and tissue to stimulate blood flow to a certain area. This helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to those muscles and joints to help improve flexibility and range of motion.
Does cold medicine help with swelling?
Cold treatment slows down blood flow and therefore prevents swelling and pain to that area. It is particularly helpful after exercise or therapy. This also is useful after an injury (such as a sprain, strain, or fracture) and for swelling from arthritis.
Is a heat pack or cold pack effective?
Heat packs or cold packs? This is a question that doctors and therapists often get from patients. Both heat treatments and cold treatments are inexpensive and extremely effective modalities that can help speed up recovery and function when used properly . What is heat treatment?
How to get better results with hot and cold?
First of all, it is essential to drink enough water and liquids. The body heals better when it is fully hydrated. Second, be sure to protect your skin from extreme temperatures, and stretch whenever you use heat therapy. Finally, you will want to be sure to use plenty of heat and increase the intensity of temperatures gradually as much as you can safely handle. Remember to always finish with an application of cold!
Why do we use hot and cold?
Why Alternate Hot and Cold Therapy. By alternating heat therapy and cool therapy, one can avoid the muscle tension and spasms associated with cool therapy and the inflammation caused by heat. In addition, alternating heat and cool means relief for different pain as the injury changes – and provides an option for reducing inflammation, ...
How does heat therapy work?
Heat therapy works by widening the blood vessels, which minimizes cramping and relieves pain in the process. When the blood flows more freely as stimulated by heat, more of the healing components of blood can reach a problem area. The biggest downside of heat is that overuse leads to inflammation!
How long to heat a cold?
Apply cold for 1 minute. Then switch to 3 minutes of heat. Again use 1 minute of cold. Switch back to heat for 3 minutes. Apply your cold item for 1 minute. Heat the area for 3 minutes. Then wrap up the session with a cold application for one minute.
How to make a cooling pack?
To create a cooling pack on your own, take a frozen item and wrap it in cloth. This might be an ice pack or bagged frozen vegetables such as corn or peas. You may also fill a plastic bag with ice or place a towel soaked in cold water into the freezer for approximately fifteen minutes.
How to make heating elements at home?
To make heating elements at home, try soaking towels in hot water then applying them to the skin. You can also fill a cloth item like a sock with white rice, seal it, and then microwave it for about one minute. If you have massage stones, you can heat these as directed by the manufacturer and use them.
Can you use heat and cold to treat pain?
Excessive heat or cold can slow the healing process! There is a low-cost, low-risk treatment for pain relief that you can do at home. Contrast therapy centers around the idea of using both heat and cold on an injury to treat pain – in an alternation. Please reference this guide on how to alternate hot and cold therapy for an injury ...
What are some ways to get rid of a cold?
The list of ineffective cold remedies is long. Some of the more common ones that don't work include: 1 Antibiotics. These attack bacteria, but they're no help against cold viruses. Avoid asking your doctor for antibiotics for a cold or using old antibiotics you have on hand. You won't get well any faster, and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the serious and growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 2 Over-the-counter cold and cough medications in young children. OTC cold and cough medications may cause serious and even life-threatening side effects in children. Talk with your child's doctor before giving any medications.
How to make yourself miserable with colds?
It's tempting to try the latest remedy, but the best thing you can do is take care of yourself. Rest, drink fluids and keep the air around you moist. Remember to wash your hands frequently.
How to heal a sore throat from a swollen throat?
Rest. Your body needs rest to heal. Soothe a sore throat. A saltwater gargle — 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water — can temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat.
How long do you stay sick after catching a cold?
If you catch a cold, you can expect to be sick for one to two weeks. That doesn't mean you have to be miserable. These remedies might help you feel better:
How to get rid of coughing in older adults?
Honey may help coughs in adults and children who are older than age 1. Try it in hot tea. Add moisture to the air. A cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier can add moisture to your home, which might help loosen congestion. Change the water daily, and clean the unit according to the manufacturer's instructions.
How to help a coughing child?
Sip warm liquids. A cold remedy used in many cultures, taking in warm liquids, such as chicken soup, tea or warm apple juice, might be soothing and might ease congestion by increasing mucus flow. Try honey. Honey may help coughs in adults and children who are older than age 1. Try it in hot tea.
Can antibiotics help with colds?
Antibiotics. These attack bacteria, but they're no help against cold viruses. Avoid asking your doctor for antibiotics for a cold or using old antibiotics you have on hand. You won't get well any faster, and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the serious and growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
