The type of injury, ache or pain should determine the type of treatment.
Many people don’t like to ice their injuries and others incline to apply heat when they feel an injury to loosen up the affected area. Even though hot and cold gel packs in reusable form have become popular forms of recovery for first aid and professional use. However there is still some resistance to using the reusable hot and cold packs, here is what you can expect from it:
● During Recovery
The question people often ask ‘ should I ice or heat my injury?” Whether to heat an injury or apply a cold gel pack varies from person to person which can be a bit confusing and many rely on the type of injury they have. In this case, a hot and cold gel pack can come handy with compression straps and reusable packs to target specific body parts. Few general rules can be followed to determine which will be beneficial for you. For instance, when you suffer from sudden injuries like strain, fracture, muscle spasm, or bruises these are generally acute injuries that need to be first treated with cold. When you have ongoing pain and stiffness you can benefit from heat therapy.
● During Initial Injury
During an initial injury, the damage to the tissue can cause uncontrolled swelling. This swelling can turn into a chronic injury if not treated well and delay the healing time. If you use a cold therapy gel pack immediately, you can reduce the amount of swelling to the injured area as it will reduce the metabolic processes that cause cell death and eventually help in preventing soreness and pain.
Reusable gel packs work well and help reduce swelling, tissue damage, blood clot formation, inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain. All you need to do is, place the Caldera reusable therapy gel pack in the freezer for one to two hours, and apply using a barrier in between the skin and hot and cold gel pack; this will enhance the flow of nutrients into the area and help in promoting healing.
● For Contrasting Therapy
Contrast therapy can be a great addition to those looking to boost overall health, or who need to recover from a workout, or from the last injury. Of course, there are instances when both hot and cold therapy can be performed to provide relief. For instance, in some medical conditions like tendonitis first, you can apply cold to the affected area using gel packs that are reusable, this will help in reducing swelling and inflammation. When the skin is settled down, you can heat up the gel pack in the microwave to provide relief and loosen any stiffness that might have settled into the affected area.
You can easily provide relief to the affected area by applying contrast therapy locally on your skin using hot and cold gel packs that are reusable and durable while knowing the proper way to apply heat or cold to avoid any additional injuries.
● After Workout
Cold therapy is most commonly used among doctors and physicians, an efficient form of cryotherapy in medicine today. Cold gel packs can be used after exercising or activities that aggravate a chronic injury. For efficient results, use a therapy pack using a barrier between the pack and skin to prevent frostbite. Keep in mind that using cold therapy for long durations does not mean more relief.
● Before Workout
Before activities that can aggravate chronic injuries such as muscle discomfort or stiffness, heat can help loosen up tissues and relax the injuries. Applying a therapy gel pack effectively opens up the blood vessels which allows blood to flow freely to the affected area. This will not only increase the circulation but also deliver an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients that can be helpful to fatigue and injured muscles. Most of the professionals and athletes use heat therapy coupled with exercise to promote an increase in range of motion leads to quick recoveries after injury.
Using heat therapy gel packs is also a good and effective option in treating back pain caused by muscle strains and spasms. Apply Caldera’s hot and cold therapy gel pack to the targeted area for 15-20 minutes, repeat as needed after a break. Note that, no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never apply heat while sleeping and be careful not to burn yourself.
Still, confused between hot and cold therapy? Here is a simple tip you can follow:
For acute injuries, for instance, if the initial injury happened within the last 72 hours, swelling and inflammation persist, cold therapy should be used immediately 4-5 times a day for 15-20 minutes. If the injury occurred long back, acute injury has started to heal, has turned into chronic, or is a more insidious onset, you will benefit from heat therapy.