When to apply cold compress and when to apply hot compress?

Hot compress and cold compress treatment methods are still very common in life, and these two treatment methods have different effects at different times. However, many friends do not know much about these two treatment methods, so they always confuse them when applying them, resulting in very poor treatment effects. So from a medical point of view, when is the right time to apply hot compress and when is the right time to apply cold compress?

Hot compress is a common treatment method in physical therapy. It is to place hot objects such as hot water bottles or hot towels on the painful area to eliminate or relieve pain. This is an ancient hot compress therapy. It can dilate local capillaries, accelerate blood circulation, and have the effects of reducing inflammation, swelling, removing cold and dampness, relieving pain, and eliminating fatigue.

Indications

Chronic inflammation and pain. For example: chronic low back and neck pain, chronic degenerative knee arthritis, muscle fatigue or spasm, etc.

However, if hot compress is used improperly, it will also have adverse effects.

Contraindications

1. Acute phase of inflammation and after injury

2. The damaged area also has the ability to sense heat and pain

3. Circulatory dysfunction

4. Open wounds

5. Acute infection areas and dermatitis areas

6. Allergy to heat

7. Pulmonary tuberculosis, malignant tumor sites

Precautions

1. When applying hot compress, the hotter the better, as long as you feel warm, the temperature should be between 42 and 45 degrees.

2. Do not press on the hot pack.

3. Do not make too many movements during hot compress treatment.

4. Can’t sleep.

5. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable during treatment, stop treatment.

6. Hot compress should generally not exceed 20 minutes.

7. After hot compress, rest for 10 minutes before moving again

Ice

Ice is a method of lowering the temperature of tissues to achieve a therapeutic effect. Cooling reduces blood volume in tissues and slows tissue turnover, thereby reducing bleeding and inflammation. In addition, it also has a certain effect on spasms and muscle contractures, and can increase the pain threshold and reduce pain.

How long should I apply ice?

If the temperature of the ice pack is above 15 degrees Celsius, the ice compress can be applied for more than 30 minutes; if the temperature of the ice pack is below 5 degrees Celsius, it cannot exceed 10 minutes.

For the human body, the early physiological effect caused by ice compress is vasoconstriction, followed by ischemia, which directly affects the oxygen supply and other nutrient delivery of local tissues, and then leads to local tissue necrosis. Normally, the body's self-protection effect will prevent this from happening, causing the blood vessels in this area to dilate again, increasing blood flow, improving hypoxia and thus preventing necrosis. Therefore, long-term ice compress is not only dangerous, but also reduces the effect of the ice compress, so the time of ice compress should be strictly controlled.

(Normal ice compress should not exceed 10 minutes. For more serious injuries, 10 minutes of ice compress is not enough, but we can use ice compress every 2 hours to control the symptoms.)