Benefits of Ice-Heat Therapy

Pain is an equal opportunity annoyer. It’s also your body’s red light warning sign that something is haywire. One common mistake most everyone makes is hoping or thinking that maybe it will just go away. Well if it’s serious enough, it won’t go away on its own; at least not for very long. And even if the pain does return, the chances are it will be even worse. A chiropractic non-surgical – non-invasive approach using ice heat therapy offers the best parachute for your pain. The formula is simple enough; use heat to relax the muscles and ice to help control the inflammation.

Many folks are not sure when to use heat or when to use ice in the self-treatment of pain. There are certain factors that enter the picture in terms of ice-heat therapy and the applications therein. If a person is not careful, the skin can be damaged which is why it is recommended you always seek out professional advice and care from your chiropractic physician and follow his or her advice and instructions. Premier Health Chiropractors are fully trained and experienced in the art of chiropractic methods that have been a source of comfort for men, women, and children for centuries.

One of the major benefits of ice is to reduce the inflammation and swelling as well as redness and other irritations so pain is minimized. Ice is beneficial for any acute stage care. However, if the application fails to work effectively after 10 minutes, it would be wise to contact your chiropractic physician. Using ice does have its yellow caution sign in that it should not be used if you have a cold allergy like hives, nausea or decreased circulation. Frozen jell packs for ice therapy is preferred and when wrapped in a thin towel, will increase the ice’s effectiveness exponentially.

On the other hand, heat therapy is best for chronic muscle spasms, pain, and stiff joints. Its job, as it relates to your body, is to help increase circulation to the affected part and relax those body parts to improve their function. You should never use heat on a rash, sunburn, or if you have circulatory problems. The chiropractic suggestion for the safest application of heat is wrapping a hot pack in a thick towel, keeping in mind that some packs start out feeling cold but heat-up rapidly. Another chiropractic method is soaking in a warm bath or warm shower. In any event, limit your heat therapy to 20 minutes or less. Heating pads are dry heat and can often burn skin as well as put unnecessary pressure on nerve endings, which will only increases your pain.

Ice-heat therapy working together, under the continuing watchful eye of Premier Health Chiropractors, will produce the results you have been looking for. Contact us today and talk to a licensed chiropractor for tips on how we use ice-heat therapy to help heal and sooth many conditions.