Using a Hot and Cold Pack to get Maximum Relief

At Arc4life.com one of the products we specialize in is hot and cold packs. Whether you have acute pain or chronic pain, having a versatile hot and cold pack at home is a necessary for healing.

One simple idea is use a bag of frozen peas or carrots right out of the freezer. We have all done that in the past. You have been playing basketball outside with your friends, and you fall on the hard pavement bruising your knee. You run inside, clean the area, and see that it is swelled. Right away, you are probably thinking ice this knee down for maximum pain relief. Using frozen vegetables maybe the first thing that comes to mind. But frozen vegetables may not retain the cold for a long period of time, they may start to melt all over the knee, into your socks and then you could have a faint odor of carrots on you, then may not go away quickly. Also, you cannot use that frozen vegetable for food now. Well technically you can, but freezing and refreezing can ruin the taste of a product.

A better idea is to use a gel filled hot and cold pack. Why? Because first of all you can use your therapy pack for hot or for cold. Simply putting the therapy pack in the microwave for 1-2 minutes can provide wonderful heat therapy. Second, gel filled hot and cold packs retain their temperature longer. A cold pack will stay colder longer and a hot pack will stay hotter longer. Third, you can use and reuse as many times as you need. These therapy packs last a long time. Fourth, the cover on the hot and cold pack is gentle against the skin. It is always advised that you wrap the therapy pack in a towel before using, but you don’t have to with basic hot and cold packs. Finally, you can get a therapy pack in many different sizes, suited for many different body parts. So if for example you know that you are getting knee surgery and the Dr has advised you to use a hot pack on your knee you can get a gel therapy pack that will fit your knee area perfectly. You can even buy therapy packs that have a strap on them. The elastic strap attaches to the pack to hold it in place. Great for arms, knees, elbows, necks and shoulders. These are called Dual Comfort Hot and Cold packs.

These Dual Comfort Hot and Cold Packs comes in 5 sizes (see below for sizes available). These hot and cold packs have an elastic strap that attaches to the pack to hold the therapy pack in place. Also, there are two surfaces to the therapy packs. The light blue is a rapid-release surface (quicker results for acute injuries), and the dark blue is the slow release surface (sub-acute injuries). These hot and cold packs can be heated in the microwave or in a hot towel cabinet.

Which Hot and Cold Pack Size is Right for You?

Size		Strap Size	Great for:	Hot and Cold Therapy Pack: How to Use it
3”x 5”		6” Strap	hand, arm, foot, finger, ankle	Click here for more info
6”x10”		18” Strap	shoulder, hip	Click here for more info
10”x13”		28” Strap	lower back, leg, midback, between the shoulder blades	Click here for more info
6”x 20”		12” Strap	neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back	Click here for more info
9”x 16”		28” Strap	upper back- will cover the neck, upper neck, shoulders, trapezius, and upper back area	Click here for more info

Additional Information on Hot and Cold Packs and Related information:

• Hot and Cold therapy products
• THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A HANDY ICE PACK AND HEAT PACK
• I I’m sore after using my new neck pillow for the 1st time.
• Acute Neck Pain and Chronic Neck Pain
• Cure Shoulder Pain + Rotator Cuff Injuries. Top quality product (doctor approved!) for quickly resolving shoulder pain at home.

Recent Study Shows that Biofreeze Reduces Pain and Blood Flow & Increases Muscle Function

For tight muscles, sore muscles or tender trigger points, on treatment option is to use a natural pain relief gel like icy hot, bengay, or biofreeze.

A recent University of Louisville study compared Biofreeze and ice, and their effect on pain, blood flow, and muscle function.
While they both reduced blood flow, Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel actually did it much quicker. Both the ice and Biofreeze reduced pain. The one difference was that Biofreeze showed significant increase in muscle function where the ice did not.

Biofreeze works similar to ice in how it helps to heal. Ice therapy initially constricts local blood vessels and decreases tissue temperature. This constriction decreases blood flow and cell metabolism, which can limit hemorrhage and cell death in an acute traumatic injury.
The fact that Biofreeze was able to help restore muscle function was significant because allowing muscles and ligaments to work like they should reflects that nerve function is also better.

In our Central CT office, we use ice after muscle therapy and sometimes following adjustments, or we give home icing instructions. We also do the same with Biofreeze. The reason is to speed the healing process. We have found both to be natural means of getting our patients better faster. One of the nice things is that you don’t need to be in the office to use them; both can be utilized right at home.



Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Treat Tight Muscles Using Biofreeze
  
• Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain Relief
  
• My Trapezius Really Hurts, How Do I Find Relief?
  
• Neck Muscles Most Responsible For Your Stiff Neck And Trigger Points: The Levator Scapulae and Trapezius
  
• Treating Neck Pain without Surgery or Medication
  

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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