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Arthritis Pain Management: Hot or Cold Therapy?

Living with Arthritis pain is not an easy task. The number and amount of medical bills that you incur taking care of, can sometimes become overwhelming. One of the best and inexpensive ways for Arthritis pain management is hot and cold therapy, and anyone can do it any time when needed.

Both hot and cold therapy works effectively for pain, but it varies from body to body. Hot treatments, such as heating pads or warm baths, work best for soothing stiff joints and muscles whereas cold therapies help you get ready for some exercise and physical activity.

Here are our picks for hot & cold therapy that could help in relieving arthritis pain if done the right way!

Hot Therapy

Heat can help relax muscles and ease out the oints. Hot therapy, used as Arthritis pain management, may be used to relieve muscle and joint stiffness as it helps in warming up the bones before any physical activity, or may come in handy to ease a muscle spasm.

  1. Warm shower & bath to be done as first thing in the morning.
  2. Apply the hot pack for at least 20mins of the day.
  3. Soak legs in warm and salty water to help take care of tired muscles.
  4. Mineral oil is also an effective way for pain-specific regions.

Read More: 7 Types of Food to Eat For Arthritis

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy, as Arthritis pain management, is usually used to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain related to arthritis and physical activity. It is also recommended to treat many acute injuries.

  1. Wrap a bag of ice or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel to protect the skin and don’t leave it on the area of pain for more than 20 minutes.
  2. Give your joint an ice bath; submerge it in a container of ice and water.
  3. Use a cloth or towel between the skin and the cold source to prevent irritation or damage.
  4. Most often topical pain relievers are also recommended if the arthritis pain is too much. It provides temporary relief of arthritis, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia. You get it in a tube, roll-on, spray or a gel pump.

Also Read: Zerodol SP

The best way to deal with such arthritis pain is by combining both hot and cold therapy. The result of such an approach will be most effective. Also, Switching between hot and cold treatment can offer excellent Arthritis pain management benefits, as long as one follows the guidelines properly and uses it wisely.

Read More: 6 Early Signs & Symptoms of Arthritis  

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