Hot & Cold Therapy Procedures

Both hot and cold therapy are referred to as thermotherapy, common treatments to soothe aching or stiff joints. They are noninvasive treatments that can be applied at home or by a medical professional. Depending on your medical problem, you may decide to use either hot or cold therapy. Both therapies can be applied following a few simple steps.

Choosing Hot or Cold

• In general, hot therapy is best used on stiff joints or ongoing muscular pain. According to Tracia L. O'Shana, a gastroenterology instructor at Dartmouth College, hot therapy increases blood flow, cuts down on pain and helps relax muscles. You can use a hot compress, heating pad or commercial gel packs for hot therapy.

  Cold therapy is best used immediately after an injury, such as a sprain or strain that may occur from sports or lifting. According to O'Shana, cold therapy works by slowing down blood flow to an injury, which helps decrease pain and swelling. Cold therapy is available in many different forms, including commercial cold packs, ice cubes or iced towels or compresses.

Therapy Procedures

• Never apply either heat or cold directly on your skin. Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and then wrap it in a towel before applying it to your skin.

  Hot therapy should be applied no longer than 30 minutes, and cold therapy should be applied not more than 20 minutes, according to O'Shana. With both therapies, check your skin every five minutes to make sure you are not causing any damage, and wait one hour before between treatment sessions.

Safety Tips

• Never use hot therapy if there is swelling or you have poor circulation, and do not use it on open wounds or stitches. Avoid lying on a hot or cold pack; if you fall asleep, you could potentially burn yourself or get freezer burn.

  If you either of these therapies does not provide relief to your problem or is making your symptoms worse, seek medical help.