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...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.
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. ...
How do you do hot and cold treatment?
- Cause a numbing effect due to the constriction blood vessels and decrease in blood flow 1
- Reduce pain by decreasing the conduction of nerves of the skin 2
- Decrease muscle spasm, which usually creates pain, by cooling the muscle fibers 1,2
- Reduce inflammation, which is a common contributor to pain, by decreasing tissue metabolism and oxygen intake 1
What is heat and cold treatment?
Cold treatment reduces inflammation by decreasing blood flow. Apply within 48 hours after an injury. Heat treatment promotes blood flow and helps muscles relax. Use for chronic pain. Alternating heat and cold may help reduce exercise-induced muscle pain.
What comes first hot or cold therapy?
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 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.
What is cold treatment used for?
What is cold therapy? Cold therapy is used to reduce blood flow by constricting, or closing, blood vessels. As explained by Dr. Rama, cold therapy can ease pain caused within the first 72 hours of any acute injury, such as an ankle sprain or muscle strain.
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.
When should you not use heat therapy?
Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues and to stimulate blood flow to the area. Use heat treatments for conditions such as overuse injuries before participating in activities. Do not use heat treatments after activity, and do not use heat after an acute injury.
Is Hot cold therapy Good?
“While icy temperatures help reduce inflammation, heat helps dilate blood vessels and promotes blood flow,” Kurtz says. If your muscle is spasming, heat is best.
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.”
Does heat make inflammation worse?
Heat can make inflammation significantly worse. Ice can aggravate symptoms of tightness and stiffness; it can also just make any pain worse when it's unwanted. Both ice and heat are pointless or worse when unwanted: icing when you're already shivering, or heating when you're already sweating.
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.
Why do you alternate hot and cold?
This alternation between heat and cold may result in an improved range of motion and expedited pain recovery. This type of therapy is typically used when an injury is at a week or longer maturity, and heat or ice alone has not worked.
What is the difference between ice and heat therapy?
Ice helps reduce inflammation and numb pain, whereas heat helps relax muscles and stiff joints. While heat helps improve circulation and blood flow, ice reduces blood flow thereby reducing inflammation and swelling.
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.
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.
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.
Can you use a gel pack as a heat pack?
To use a gel pack, simply cool in the refrigerator or freezer is intending to use as a cold pack, or warm in hot water (or microwave) to use it as a heat pack.
How to treat a cold injury?
For cold therapy, or cryotherapy, a water bottle filled with cold water, a pad cooled in the freezer, or cool water can be used. In some cases, alternating heat and cold may help, as it will greatly increase blood flow to the injury site.
How long does cold therapy last?
Some ways of using cold therapy include: a cold compress or a chemical cold pack applied to the inflamed area for 20 minutes, every 4 to 6 hours, for 3 days. Cold compresses are available for purchase online. immersion or soaking in cold, but not freezing, water.
Why is ice used for back pain?
It may be less helpful for back pain, possibly because the injury is not new, or because the problem tissue, if it is inflamed, lies deep beneath other tissues and far from the cold press.
Why is my skin hot and red?
the skin is hot, red or inflamed. the person has dermatitis or an open wound. the area is numb. the person may be insensitive to heat due to peripheral neuropathy or a similar condition. Ask a doctor first about using heat or cold on a person who has high blood pressure or heart disease.
How to avoid ice burn?
immersion or soaking in cold, but not freezing, water. massaging the area with an ice cube or an ice pack in a circular motion from two to five times a day, for a maximum of 5 minutes, to avoid an ice burn. In the case of an ice massage, ice can be applied directly to the skin, because it does not stay in one place.
Does heat help with lactic acid?
Improved circulation can help eliminate the buildup of lactic acid waste occurs after some types of exercise. Heat is also psychologically reassuring, which can enhance its analgesic properties. Heat therapy is usually more effective than cold at treating chronic muscle pain or sore joints caused by arthritis.
Does cold medicine help with swelling?
Cold treatment reduces blood flow to an injured area. This slows the rate of inflammation and reduces the risk of swelling and tissue damage. It also numbs sore tissues, acting as a local anesthetic, and slows down the pain messages being transmitted to the brain.
What is contrast therapy?
Contrast therapy will relieve pain and swelling associated with a variety of injuries. It's most effective to treat pain in the hands and lower body. ( Image Reference) This versatile treatment can be used for a variety of conditions, including:
Why is ice good for injury?
It is effective because it causes vasoconstriction, or narrowing of the blood vessels. The muscles contract, inflammation is lowered, and pain signals are reduced.
How long does it take for contrast therapy to work?
Pain relief sprays and gels, such as Icy Hot, work according to concept—they cool first to dull the pain and then heat to relax the muscles. Here is a basic pattern of how to apply contrast therapy: Begin with 1 minute of cold. Apply 3 minutes of heat. Apply 1 minute of cold. Apply 3 minutes of heat.
Is contrast therapy good for you?
For most people, contrast therapy offers an easy and cheap way to lower inflammation, loosen muscles, and enjoy natural pain relief.
Does contrast therapy help with pain?
Sometimes, choosing one over the other simply may not provide enough relief, which is where contrast therapy comes in. With this gentle method, you can simultaneously reduce inflammation, stimulate circulation, and loosen tight muscles, thereby easing your pain.
Is cold or hot therapy good for recovery?
Hot and cold therapy may be effective in aiding recovery by reducing levels of both lactic acid and muscle soreness. It may be particularly beneficial for those who have a second workout planned for later in the day, as it doesn’t shut the body down in the way pure ice therapy does.
Can you use contrast therapy on hips?
Although the hip joint causes problems for many, it is not usually the best candidate for contrast therapy due to its size and the fact that it is often padded with fat. However, given the simplicity and cost effectiveness of hot and cold therapy, it’s worth trying contrast therapy for many conditions that cause pain.
How does heat help?
Benefits of a Heat Treatment. Heat or warmth will help get things moving by speeding up the molecules in tissues and increasing blood flow. Heat is helpful for stiff joints and muscles, and can be useful prior to an activity. We often see an athlete warming up before a workout.
What is a heat pack?
A heat pack is a type of heat treatment that should be wrapped in cloth to avoid burning the skin. Figure 2. A cold gel pack is an effective cold treatment. Figure 1. Close. Slider Back. Slider Next.
Does heat help with stiffness?
A warm compress or heating pad can also relieve stiffness (Figure 1); however, too much heat could cause fainting, swelling, or burns to skin and tissues, so use your heat treatment with moderation.
Can cold cause sore joints?
As with heat, too much cold can slow down and stiffen sore joints, so use this treatment with moderation. Applying ice or anything extremely cold to bare skin can cause injury. Always wrap the source of cold in some sort of fabric.
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.
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 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.
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.
Why do you use hot and cold?
If used correctly following an injury or when beginning a rehabilitation or exercise program, hot and cold can help to reduce pain, assist with tissue healing, control swelling, and increase flexibility.
When should heat therapy be avoided?
Heat therapy should be avoided in the acute phase of an injury when swelling is present and the skin is hot to touch. Moist heat is preferred over dry heat since it penetrates deeper to reach muscles, ligaments and joints.
What is hot pack?
Hot packs can be dry such as electric pads, hot water bottles and gel packs, or moist such as damp clay packs used in physiotherapy clinics and hospitals. Hot packs dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow, delivering needed nutrients and oxygen to cells in the area being heated, aiding the removal of cell waste and promoting healing.
How long does it take for a cold to work?
Cold is typically applied within the first 24-48 hours of the acute stage of an injury, to prevent tissue damage, or after the first 48 hours if inflammation persists.
Is cold therapy good for ischemia?
Cold therapy is a good treatment option for many, however, it is generally not indicated as a treatment for people with: Impaired circulation or ischemia. Absence of skin sensitivity (anaesthesia) Vasospasm (Raynaud’s disease) Open or infected wound. Hypersensitivity to cold.
Can you use heat or cold on your muscles?
If used incorrectly, however, they can also worsen an injury or slow recovery times. Use caution when engaging in activities shortly after applying heat or cold since both may affect muscle and nerve performance as well as your ability to perceive pain or determine your normal limits.