Pain is something that people can get used to as they get older. They say it is a sign of aging. The pain, discomfort, and inconvenience of it though, are not a joking matter!
The level can range from a slight tugging to incapability to get out of bed. And yes, it can be that intense!
After a long day at work sitting in your chair, your body just can’t help it but complain. Do you know what you can do? As simple as heat is the solution!
Revolutionizing Heat Treatment: Therapeutic Heating
Heat is a powerful element of nature and it does not just help cook food but also heal and treat! Therapeutic heating, the opposite of cryotherapy, uses heat as a treatment for non-inflammatory body pain, including both acute and chronic pain.
Some of the conditions that can benefit from this treatment include the following:
- Pain & Spasms (Related to Lower Back, Back, & Neck Injury)
- Tendonitis or Chronic Irritation & Stiffness
- Osteoarthritis
- Stiff Muscles or Tissue (Before Activity)
- Strains & Sprains
- Menstrual, Neuropathic, & Restless Leg Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia (Rheumatic Diseases)
- Body Sensitivity
According to research (Ingraham, 2016), heat treatment, particularly continuous low-level heat wrap therapy or CLHT is more effective than taking oral analgesics, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. The research shows that people who exercise and suffering from lower back pain but use CLHT experience less pain compared to people who don’t use the said therapy. This will, of course, be dependent on the depth of the injured and pained tissue.
While there are many pains and injuries that heat treatment can be resolved, there are specific injuries that under no circumstance you can use this treatment. Some of these injuries are:
- Fresh Injuries & Open Wounds
- Dermatitis
- Numb Area
- Burns
- Infections
- Hot, Inflamed, & Red Injuries
Types of Heat Therapy to Consider
Heat Therapy can be a lot of things, from as simple as a warm compress to as more complex and meticulous as therapeutic heating. Heat applied to the affected area will promote blood flow, dilate blood vessels, and help the muscles to react. Enhancing analgesic properties, heat therapy is effective for sore joints and chronic muscle pain from arthritis.
Using heat therapy, it is important to know which type can be most effective in specific situations. According to Mooney (2003), the most effective would be products that can maintain heat for continuous use and at the proper temperature.
Heat therapy can either by dry or moist and the difference would be on people’s preference. Some of the most popular heat therapies include:
- Electric Heating Pads
- Saunas
- Hot Baths
- Steamed Towels
- Ergonomic Heat Cushion Pillows
- Heated Gel Packs
- Hot Water Battle
- Heated Paraffin Wax Treatment
DIY Warm Compress & How to Use It
Hot Compress is the most traditional heat therapy usually is done at home.
This therapy is recommended by medical professionals and doctors for a lot of mild medical conditions (White, 2018). This method is preferred by a lot of people, primarily because it’s easy to use and make.
Warm compress is a simple clean cloth continued to be warmed by soaking it in warm water. Here is the simple step-by-step you can follow and how to make and use it:
- Warm water in a pot on a stovetop (Or run warm water from the tap)
- Add herbal extracts like garlic (Optional)
- Soak a clean cloth in Warm Water (Make sure it’s an ideal temperature)
- Apply on Affected Area
- Repeat Steps 3 and 4 (Maximum of 10 Minutes)
But if you are not a fan of DIYs or have no extra time to make one, there are varieties of warm compress pillows in the market right now like the Soothie Cushion.
