Cold vs Heat: What should I use, when?
Knowing when to use cold therapy and when to use heat therapy will significantly increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Using them incorrectly can increase pain and swelling, rather than reduce them.
Cold beats heat for treating pain, swelling, bruises and inflammation in most circumstances. Cold slows blood flow, reducing swelling, bruising and inflammation. It’s often best for short-term pain, for example sprain or strain.
Heat boosts the flow of blood and nutrients to an area of the body. It often works best for muscle pain or stiffness. Don’t use heat in case of swelling tissue, it will cause contraindications, where the swelling increases and the inflammation spreads to nearby tissues.
When to use cold therapy?
Acute Injuries
Wrist fractures, ankle sprains, shoulder dislocations, and hamstring muscle strain.
Overuse Injuries
Tennis elbow, swimmer's shoulder, youth pitching elbow, runner's knee, jumper's knee, Achilles tendonitis, and shin splints.
When dealing with injuries, it's best to predominantly choose cold if the injury is acute (less than 6 weeks old). The cold constricts blood vessels, which reduces swelling, relieves inflammation, and limits bruising.
Cold stops swelling, inflammation, and pain early on where heat may actually make an injury worse.
If dealing with lingering injuries (older than 6 weeks), then it's advisable to use heat. The increased blood flow relaxes tight muscles and relieves aching joints.
Can still use cold treatment after exercise or activities to prevent any flare of inflammation.
Gout Flare-up
Cold is best for gout flare-up. When the sudden onset of pain and inflammation strikes individual joints, cold can calm the flare-ups while also helping to numb the pain.
Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains usually benefit from a combo of both cold and heat when they occur. Whether you pulled a muscle in the calf or back doing yard work, or sprained the ankle playing basketball, it's best to start with cold to ease inflammation (including swelling, redness, or tenderness of the injury) and numb the pain. Only after the inflammation resolves, then switch to heat. This can help relieve any muscle stiffness at the injury site.
Tendonitis
Cold is particularly helpful for reducing swelling and pain, as it numbs the nerves and constricts blood vessels. In the early stages of an injury (usually the first few days or so when discomfort is most acute), ice is preferable to heat for these reasons.
Stiff Neck
Apply cold therapy to numb the area and soothe the inflamed muscles. After a day or two, apply heat therapy.
Lumbago (Back Pain)
When the back pain is acute (less than 6-week duration) and/or occurs due to direct lower back injury from falls, sprains, sports injuries, or collisions, use cold therapy first. Once the inflammation is subsided, use heat therapy.
If the patient has subacute or chronic back pain (more than 6 weeks duration), apply heat therapy.
Cold or ice the back immediately after extensive workout, trying a new type of workout, or even from excessive walking to reduce muscle soreness.
Arthritis
Patients with mild chronic osteoarthritis usually feel better with heat. Heat can relax muscles, relieve muscle and joint stiffness, help warm up joints before activity, or ease a muscle spasm.
Cold can reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain related to arthritis and activity.
Alternating heat and cold can be helpful later. Use heat therapy in the morning to loosen up an osteoarthritic knee and use cold therapy to reduce swelling a few hours later.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Flare-up
When you want to relieve joint stiffness and encourage easy joint movement, heat therapy can help. Use heat therapy first thing in the morning, when the joints are stiffest.
Cold can be helpful, especially when an RA flare-up brings inflamed, swollen joints.
Product
The outermost layer of the human skin, the stratum corneum, is responsible for its barrier function. Most topically administered drugs do not have the ability to penetrate the stratum corneum.
COOL-X PROVIDES 3 MODE OF ACTIONS:
Menthol, Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effects for Immediate and Deep Pain Relief.
Cool-X is enhanced with MSM which helps to improve permeation capabilities.
Cool-X Cold Gel provides moderate long acting reduction (5-6˚C) of the skin temperature, for 2-4 hours, without the risks of counter reactions or frostbite. It offers a possibility to use features and benefits of cold as long as needed.
Cool-X is enhanced with Eucalyptus oil and Mentha piperita oil providing unsurpassed anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Cool-X Provides Immediate & Deep Pain Relief
Instruction to use
Step 1 - Massage a thin layer of Cool-X Cold Gel onto the painful area.
Step 2 - Re-apply a 2nd layer after 5 mins of 1st application.
Step 3 - Repeat step 1 and 2 every 3 hours as needed, for effective results.
This is for educational purposes only. Kindly consult healthcare professionals for further information.