Serving our grandparents had been a really satisfying experience to us! Massaging their ailing joints with a pair of amateurish hands had brought smiles in their faces. But we were aware that these smiles were just consolations and that they were trying to express thankfulness with a lot of blessings. Our parents were more mature than us and so they did not hesitate to call experts to treat the painful joints! And these experts were smart enough to enable our grandparents to accompany us for a small walk in the morning after a few days! This is the area where hot and cold therapies came into use.
Hot and cold therapies have been used for centuries in treating injuries, burns, headaches, clogged sinuses, swelling around the eyes, stiffness and arthritic pain. Studies show that both the therapies can be equally effective in reducing pain, except in the case of acute gout. Cold packs numb the nerves around the joint and this reduces the pain, inflammation and the muscle spasm. Heat relaxes the muscles and soothes the pain. It increases the blood flow, the tolerance for pain and flexibility. Heat and cold therapies work by stimulating the body's own healing force.
Heat Therapy
Heat increases blood flow and makes the connective tissues more flexible. It temporarily decreases joint stiffness, pain and muscle spasms. Heat also helps to reduce inflammation and the buildup of fluid in the tissues (edema). Heat therapy is used to treat inflammation (including various forms of arthritis), muscle spasm and injuries such as sprains and strains. Heat therapy may be applied to:
1. The Body Surface:
- Infrared Heat: Heat applied with a lamp.
- Hot Packs: Cotton cloth containers filled with silicate gel, usually warmed in a microwave oven.
- Paraffin Bath: Dipping in, immersion in or painting with melted wax.
- Hydrotherapy: Immersion in agitated warm water in a large industrial whirlpool.
2. Deep Tissues:
- Diathermy Short Waves: Heat produced by an oscillating, high-frequency electromagnetic field.
- Diathermy Microwave: Heat produced by microwaves.
- Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves penetrate deep into the tissues, cause vibrations in them and produce heat. This process draws blood (with oxygen and nutrients) to the area.
Caution
- This technique is not to be used in case of damaged or abnormally sensitive skin.
- It can also increase joint swelling if the injury is acute.
- Heat therapy should be avoided in children and in pregnant women.
Cold Therapy (Cryotherapy)
Applying cold may help numb the tissues and relieve muscle spasms, acute lower back pain and acute inflammation. Cold therapy can reduce inflammation, a major cause of arthritic joint pain and stiffness. Placing a cold pack on a swollen joint can also help to reduce its size and this will also lessen the joint pain. According to the American College of Rheumatology, 5 to 10-minute ice massages applied to a painful area within the first 48 hours of pain onset can help to relieve pain. Cold therapy involves treatment by:
- Cold packs
- Ice massage
- Soaking in cold water
- OTC sprays and ointments that cool skin and joints
Caution
- Problems with cryotherapy include hypersensitivity, allergic reactions (noted if cold and burning sensations last longer than several minutes) and cold injuries like frostnip and frostbite.
- Cryotherapy should be avoided in people with cold sensitivity and those with skin sensation problems, Reynaud's phenomenon, cryoglobulinemia, Buerger's disease and a prior history of frostbite.
- Cold is not applied to tissues with a reduced blood supply (for example, when the arteries are narrowed by peripheral arterial disease).
What are the Different Safety Tips That You May Need to Keep in Mind?
It's very important to be careful while using hot and cold therapy to manage arthritic pain. Otherwise, it may end up with damages to the skin due to exposure to relatively extreme temperatures. These are the safety tips that you may need to consider during heat or cold therapies:
- Never apply heat or cold for more than 20 minutes at a time.
- Allow the skin to return to the normal temperature before repeating the applications.
- Never combine heat or cold therapies with creams as this can increase the likelihood of burns.
- Place a cloth or a towel between your skin and the heat or cold source to prevent burns, irritation or damage.
- Don't apply heat to an injured skin.
- Do not make the joints overly cold, since numbness increases the risk of overusing the joint.
- Make sure that the temperature is never uncomfortably high; you will definitely not want to burn your skin!
- If you notice your skin becoming numb, blistered, bright red or blotchy, remove the cold source immediately.
Gone are the days in which joint pain was a typical phenomenon of the old age. Today, anyone at any age can suffer from it. The increasing incidences of joint pain can be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle. These are the treatment options, but the prevention again remains as the best policy. Maintain an active lifestyle to keep joints healthy. Keep moving and your joints will support further motion.
