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Hot & Cold Therapy for Cures for Arthritis

Arthritis is a miserable condition that affects millions of Americans every day. It can be caused by many things, but it is the painful inflammation and stiffness that occurs in joints as they wear away over time or due to injury or stress. Knowing some treatments you can use at home, like hot and cold therapy, to help with arthritis pain can really help.

  1. Treating Arthritis

    • Understand that there is no "cure" for arthritis. Once the joints have begun to deteriorate, the process cannot be entirely reversed. It can be slowed, and the symptoms can be treated. But a cure is not available. Instead, approach treatment with the idea that you will treat as many of the possible causes as you can, then treat the symptoms for the arthritis itself. Hot and cold therapy are both excellent choices for treating the symptoms of arthritis pain.

    Cold Therapy

    • Cold therapy is best applied right after exercise, or when the arthritic area has been used or stressed. Applying an ice pack to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time, with a 10-minute break between, is a great way to ease any swelling that may be occurring, and a great deal of arthritis pain comes from the inflammation that occurs in the joint. The ice shrinks the swelling tissues, which in turn prevents a rush of fluid to the area, which keeps the arthritic area from becoming swollen and stiff. Because most exercise creates heat, ice is the best choice for arthritis pain after physical activity that causes arthritis pain.

    Heat Therapy

    • Using heat is a must for arthritis sufferers, especially before bed. When you are trying to relax, a hot bath is very helpful for arthritis pain. Once out, apply a heating pad or topical heating analgesic to the affected area. The sense of warmth will ease some of the discomfort of the disease and help you fall asleep. One of the most common complaints of arthritis sufferers is that the cold gets "into" the affected areas and makes them ache. If you can prevent this pain before it starts, then you are more than likely to get a restful night's sleep.

    Alternating Hot and Cold

    • Alternating between heat and cold therapy can also be an effective treatment for arthritis pain. How this works is not exactly understood, and it is not fully effective for everyone. It is likely that it works well because it alternates shrinking and dilating the blood vessels. Anything that can improve the circulation in the arthritic area is beneficial toward helping the condition. Start with the ice pack and apply for 10 to 20 minutes. Allow the skin to warm for five minutes, then soak it in warm (not too hot) water for 10 to 20 minutes. Follow with ice, then a heating pad. If you experience long-lasting relief, this is a good choice for you.

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