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Hot compresses are primarily used to reduce chronic pain, stimulate blood circulation, and soothe the muscles and blood. It works by increasing the temperature and blood flow to the body’s tissues to attract additional nutrients to the painful area to enhance metabolism and phagocytosis of white blood cells.
Heat, on the other hand, should never be used for acute injuries. This is because when heat enters the body’s tissues along with the flowing media in the body, it can increase swelling and inflammation. So do not try to dilate the blood vessels with heat, except under the supervision of your health care practitioner. Secondly, do not use heat before strenuous exercise. This is because your muscles will be affected by the excessive relaxation of your exercise.
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Precautions for applying heat
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The best time to apply a hot compress should be between 15-20 minutes. This is because it takes a minimum of 15 minutes for the heat of a hot compress to enter the body tissues and exert its therapeutic effect.
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Heat compress method can be divided into dry heat compress and wet heat compress, where the heat penetration of wet heat compress is stronger, for reducing soft tissue congestion in the neck, lifting muscle spasm, pain caused by ankylosis, etc. has a significant effect.
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Do not try to numb the skin and relieve pain with a hot bag of too high a temperature. This will reduce the sensitivity of the skin to the outside world in the long run.
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About cold compresses
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Cold compresses (cold treatment) are the first choice for acute injuries. When the body is injured, immediate cold treatment of the wound can be very good to reduce skin tissue damage and reduce the complication of inflammation. Cold treatment can also reduce muscle spasm, reduce post-exercise pain, and promote blood flow.
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Likewise, cold compresses are not suitable for sensitive skin and those with weak circulation. The elderly, children, and diabetics also need to be especially cautious about cold treatment.
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Precautions for cold compresses
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For acute trauma or subacute injury, only cold treatment should be applied to the wound within three days after the injury, and the cold compress should not be applied directly to the skin with an ice pack, but with a dry towel.
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The treatment time is usually within 472 hours, and cold compresses need to be repeated every few hours.
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To reduce muscle soreness after exercise, it is recommended that cold compresses be applied to the skin after 10 – 20 minutes of exercise.