Should you use ice or heat to relieve pain? There's a lot of debate, and using the wrong method can even worsen inflammation! Below are some insights into the benefits and methods of applying ice and heat, so let's analyze them together!
Hot compress 🔥
Main Benefits
- Relax your muscles
- Relieve pain and tension
Hot compress method
- Use a warming pack, hot towel, or hot water bottle
- Apply heat until soothing
- Do not apply hot compress for more than ten minutes each time, and rest for at least twenty minutes after application to avoid burns
Applicable symptoms
- Chronic inflammation and pain
- Muscle strain from poor posture
- Muscle fatigue
example
1. **Cervical pain**: Apply a hot towel to the affected area of the shoulder and neck for ten minutes before going to bed. This can promote blood circulation and relieve muscle spasms and pain.
2. **Symptoms of dry eyes**: You can use a hot towel to warm your eyes to promote blood circulation around the eyes, and it also has the effect of improving eyesight and strengthening the brain.
3. **Dysmenorrhea or abdominal pain**: You can use a hot towel to apply heat to the abdomen to achieve the effect of removing blood stasis, regulating qi and relieving pain.
Ice compress
Main Benefits
- Reduce pain
- Relieve inflammation
- Paralyzing effect
- Reduce swelling
Ice compress method
- Never use ice cubes directly, put a wet towel in the refrigerator
- Apply an ice towel to the affected area for soothing effect
- Do not apply ice for more than ten minutes at a time, and rest for at least twenty minutes after application.
Applicable symptoms
- Pulled or sprained muscles, tendons or ligaments
- Bruise without wound
- Gout
example
1. **Sports strain**: Apply ice within 6 hours, ten minutes at a time, about two or three times.
2. **Burns**: Immediately flush the tap with water for a while, then apply ice to the affected area with a wet towel.
3. **Bruise**: You can use an ice towel to apply ice until the swelling subsides. Be careful not to apply it for more than ten minutes each time.
