Heat & Cold Therapy for Arthritis - Which is Best?-- The Arthritis Foundation
May is National Arthritis Month and with the return of warm, spring weather many people with arthritis are beginning or resuming regular exercise programs. Sometimes with too much exercise, disease progression, or increased activity, arthritis pain can intensify.
Medications, exercise, and weight control are ways to manage arthritis. So where does the use of heat and cold therapy come in to limit arthritis pain and stiffness?
Heat and cold therapy treat different types of pain. For acute or sudden pain onset, use cold therapy. It is effective at the beginning of a flare to numb joints and reduce swelling.
Heat therapy relieves pain and reduces soreness and stiffness. It can be used prior to activity to warm up the joints, ease stiffness, and increase local circulation. Refrain from using heat therapy on joints that are already hot and swollen.
Moist or dry heat can be effective. Moist heat includes baths, hot tubs, whirlpools, and warming damp towels in the microwave. Dry heat sources include heating pads, electric blankets, heat lamps, and heat wraps.
The most common cold therapy can be successful with a plastic bag filled with ice chips, a bottle filled with ice or cold water, chemical gel cold packs, or even a bag of frozen vegetables applied to the sore joint. Take care to place a dry cloth over the area to prevent direct contact between the skin and the cold pack.
As with any new type of therapy, talk with your healthcare provider before trying heat or cold therapy.
For a free copy of the Arthritis Foundation's new brochure, Heat & Cold Therapy - Understanding How Heat and Cold Are Used to Ease Arthritis Pain - call the Arthritis Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Chapter at (216) 831-7000 or (800) 245-2275, ext. 114.
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