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

!±8± 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.

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

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Arthritis Neck Pain - Quick Home Remedies for Arthritic Neck Pain

!±8± Arthritis Neck Pain - Quick Home Remedies for Arthritic Neck Pain

There are many different ways to deal with arthritis neck pain. Before you look for methods and treatments options for arthritis neck pain, it is important to understand the cause of the pain. The pain is caused by damage to any of the cartilages which connect the neck all the way to the cervical spine. The damage results in cervical spine or neck problems and as it progresses you will have to deal with arthritis neck pain. Choosing the right treatment can reduce the pain significantly.

The best remedy for arthritis neck pain is a neck surgery. You can reduce the pain through physical therapy. Relief from the pain is only if you are willing to put in the required effort. Not doing anything about the pain will only make it more severe. According to studies, sedentary people are more prone to arthritis than those with an active lifestyle.

The first and most important step in getting relief from arthritis neck pain is to take action, stop doing nothing and adopt a more active lifestyle. There are a number of exercises and other physical therapies which you can use to build a regimen and such a regimen will give you effective relief from pain and stiffness. Get yourself an appointment with a professional therapist who can teach you the right way to do the exercises. A physical therapist can also tell you which exercises will work best for your condition. Here are some other methods to help you reduce arthritis neck pain.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy combines heat, air and water. A hot tub can do wonders for you; it reduces neck pain significantly and also comforts your body. The body weight is reduced to almost nothing which takes the pressure off. The water and air give the body a good massage. Your doctor will tell you everything you need to know about hydrotherapy such as the ideal water temperature for your body. Many people suffering from arthritis also use the water to exercise as the water warms up the muscles and the body for the exercise routine.

Posture exercises: Physical therapy can be combined with posture exercises to give you significant pain relief. Poor posture will only aggravate the neck pain due to arthritis. All you need is an exercise ball and a set of exercise bands.

Massage: A good massage therapy increases mobility, flexibility and circulation which in turn reduce the pain. Apply a small amount of biofreeze to affected area. BIOFREEZE is a great topical analgesic gel which works by increasing blood flow and circulation to the area.

Arthritis meds: There are a variety of pain killers in the market which can help reduce arthritis neck pain. But consider medication only after you have tried every other method. They may have side effects so you must consult a professional before using any medication to avoid making the pain worse.

Arthritis Neck Pain - Quick Home Remedies for Arthritic Neck Pain

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