Why hot compresses

Professional athletes may use ice massage, cold water immersion, and whole-body cryotherapy chambers to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage EIMD that can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness DOMS. DOMS commonly emerges 24 to 48 hours after exercise. A study published in The Cochrane Library in suggested that a cold bath after exercise may help prevent DOMS, compared with resting or doing nothing.

The participants spent between 5 and 24 minutes in water between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. However, the researchers were not certain whether there may be negative side effects, or if another strategy might be more helpful. 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. Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promote blood flow, and help sore and tightened muscles relax.

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. Types of heat therapy include :. Heat packs can be dry or moist.

Dry heat can be applied for up to 8 hours, while moist heat can be applied for 2 hours. Moist heat is believed to act more quickly. Heat should normally be applied to the area for 20 minutes, up to three times a day, unless otherwise indicated.

Applied to the neck, heat may reduce the spasms that lead to headaches. In , a team of researchers found that patients with lower back pain who exercised and use continuous low-level heat wrap therapy CLHT experienced less pain than those who did not use CLHT. Previous studies had shown that, for some people, CLHT relieved pain more effectively than oral analgesics, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.

However, the effectiveness of heat treatment may depend on the depth of the tissue affected by the pain or injury. There is some evidence that this might help, but heat that is applied for only 5 to 20 minutes may be less effective, as does not have the chance impact the deeper levels of tissue. McKenzie exercises are designed to improve spinal mobility and promote good posture, which can provide relief from back pain. Learn how to safely try…. If you have frozen shoulder, massage and stretching can help you gain mobility and relieve pain.

Learn exercises you can do plus common trigger points. Playing golf is low-impact exercise, but the repetitive motion can cause pain and injury. Learn 9 essential stretches to help your game and prevent…. Hip adductors are the muscles in your inner thigh that support good balance and alignment.

Toning, strengthening, and stretching your hip adductors…. Contrast bath therapy is a series of brief, repeated immersions in water, alternating between warm and cold temperatures.

According to research…. Rounded shoulders are a common issue for many people. Learn six stretching exercises that you can use to open up your chest, relax your shoulders, and…. A cold compress for swelling brings relief when applied right away to an injury like an ankle sprain. Some of the conditions that can benefit from cold treatment include the following:.

Unlike the warm compress, ice packs should not be used right before vigorously exercising or participating in sports. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind. One is to only apply a cold or warm compress for a maximum of 20 minutes. Another guideline is to be careful to not damage the skin from a compress that is too hot or too cold.

The skin should look pink and not red or white. The skin should be allowed to reach its normal temperature before reapplying a cold or hot compress. Should not be used for the first 48 hours after an injury. Types of warm packs or pads Warm towel Dampen a towel with warm not scalding water. Put on the affected area to ease muscle spasm. Heating pad Be sure to protect any type of heating pad device from coming in direct contact with the skin. Because the blood supply helps eliminate these chemicals, use heat to help sore muscles after exercise Cold Eases pain by numbing the affected area.

Reduces swelling and inflammation. Reduces bleeding.