Arthritis Pain Relief - Cold Therapy Or Heat?

By Author: Valerie Paxton
Total Articles: 3698
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Whether to use heat therapy or cold therapy to reduce joint stiffness depends on the type of arthritis and the type of pain you have. Since everyone experiences and responds to pain differently, you should discuss a pain management plan with your doctor. You may have to try several things to see what works.

According to Dr. Kevin Sperber, Board Certified Pain Management Specialist at Columbia University, "Ice is best for soft tissue injuries such as bruises, sprains or acute trauma. Cold therapy may also be beneficial for occasional flare ups of pain after activity. Cold acts as an analgesic by numbing the sore area and can also drastically reduce swelling and discomfort."

Therapeutic Heat is more commonly recommended than cold to reduce arthritis pain because it relaxes ligaments, increases blood flow and improves joint range of motion.

So why the debate over hot or cold? Dr. Sperber says that for chronic conditions, like arthritis, both cold and heat can help to reduce inflammation, so it may come down to what feels better to you.

Cold Therapy Product Ideas:

* Frozen Gel Cold Packs. ...
... Save your frozen peas and use a pliable, reusable "ice pack" instead. ColPaC offers various sizes and shapes.

* Biofreeze. This topical pain reliever is recommended for temporary relief of arthritis, tendonitis and fybromyalgia. It comes in a tube, roll-on, spray or gel pump.

Hot Therapy Product Ideas:

* 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 the ticket to reduce your arthritis pain. The Thermotex Infrared Heating Pad TTS Platinum is the most popular model because of its portability and adjustable straps.

* Light Relief Light Therapy. This hand-held device provides topical heating to elevate and/or maintain tissue temperature wherever it is placed. Works on dogs, too.

* Paraffin Bath. Dip your sore hands, feet or elbows in melted paraffin wax for fast acting, drug-free therapy. The most popular one on the market is the Therabath PRO Paraffin Bath.

* Moist Heat. Arthritic pain is often relieved with moist heat. We suggest 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 for your hands.

* Arthritis Gloves. These specially designed arthritis gloves provide mild compression and warmth for your hands. They have open fingertips so your can feel, touch and grip.