Ice Pack or Heat: What Should I Use?

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 6 September 2017

Are you confused as to when to use Ice Pack and when to use Heat to deal with pain, injury and inflammation? This infographic below sums it up quite simply.

According to Dr. Bhuvaneswari, a quick guideline to follow is: 

Ice pack is preferred if it is a recent and acute pain episode especially injury which may be a blood clot, muscle tear or tendon tear.  For instance most sport and exercse injuries. 

Heat or warmth for Chronic pain with stiffness, especially joint related pain as in Arthritis.

And watch out for Paraffin wax treatments. They can cause burns as well.
 

 

For the options of heat and ice packs and other tips, refer to the full article at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/08/should-you-use-ice-or-heat-for-pain-infographic/amp/

 

 

Community
Neurological Conditions
Muscle, Bone and Joint (earlier named Arthritis)
Condition
Arthritis
Migraine
Changed
Thu, 11/02/2017 - 09:53

Stories

  • , ,
    Migraine
    What is migraine Migraine is a chronic type of headache that occurs in episodes and affects the day to day activities of an individual. It usually affects one side of the head. Between migraine episodes, the patient is absolutely free of pain. Migraine is the most common neurological condition in the developed world. A migraine attack can come with an aura, which means a sense of warning, or without an aura.  Migraines are three times more common in women than men.     …
  • FDA Approves Generic Celebrex
    In June 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two generic versions of celecoxib (Celebrex). Developed by Pfizer, celexocib is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, as well as other conditions. Approval was granted to Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to market 50 mg celecoxib capsules, while Teva Pharmaceutical Industries received approval to market the drug in the following doses: 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg, according to a bulletin from the FDA. Teva was…
  • Inflammation
    Inflammation has been linked to a slew of diseases – from allergies to cancer, heart trouble, bowel problems and diabetes. What is it and how can we protect ourselves. - By paediatrician and family practitioner Dr Gita Mathai. What is inflammation? The word is derived from the Latin “inflammo” meaning ignite or set alight. It conjures up visions of fire, and it is the body’s response to an injury, like a broken bone, a scrape in the skin or an infection by an organism (…
  • Daily exercise may help suppress inflammation in rheumatic disease
    Exercise has been shown to transiently suppress inflammation in an animal model of rheumatic disease, bolstering evidence to support the theory that regular physical activity is beneficial for patients with the disease. “Exercise can be a very potent therapeutic intervention to control inflammatory diseases, but unfortunately today it is underutilized in clinical practice,” said study author Dr. Nicholas Young from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, US. “[In our…
  • Walking to Help Knee OA: How Much Is Enough?
    Researchers find 6,000 steps per day is the “magic” number for preventing activity limitations in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to a new study published recently online in Arthritis Care & Research. If you have not been doing much walking, start with 3000 steps and then move up to 6000 steps per day http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/walking-protects-against-limitations-348.php
  • Tofacitinib: A novel oral treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
    Tofacitinib (Xeljanz®) is the first of a unique class of oral kinase inhibitors to be FDA approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tofacitinib is a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) enzymes. these enzymes mediate signaling for several important cytokines that cause the inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritic patients.  http://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-news/tofacitinib-fda-approved-oral-biologic-for-rheumatoid-arthritis/
  • Is Knee or Hip replacement right for you ?
    How many times has someone close to us been told to replace a knee or replace a hip ? But is it always the right option ? Understand and evaluate your options carefully as explained here :  http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/08/is-a-hip-or-knee-replacement-right-for-you/
  • Exercising with Arthritis? Is it possible?
    A great article on why exercising is important to prevent complications from inactivity in Arthritic patients and what exercises are suitable. https://www.rheumatology.org/Practice/Clinical/Patients/Diseases_And_Conditions/Exercise_and_Arthritis/
  • Men get Arthritis, too
    Living with RA is living with pain but “Don’t let the disease define you”. RA causes pain in his hands, but he plays the piano every day to keep his fingers moving and his brain active. http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/men-get-arthritis-too/?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf
  • Apples and tart cherries help fight inflammation
    Helps fight not just arthritis but Alzheimer's as well. Eat fresh fruit rather than drink juice http://www.arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/eating-well/healthy-foods/benefits-of-fruit.php