Hot and cold pack FAQS
How do hot and cold packs work?
Hot and cold packs work in different ways. A hot pack brings more blood to the area where it’s applied, but should not be used for the first 48 hours after an injury.
A cold pack eases pain in an injured area by numbing the affected area and reduces swelling and inflammation. You should never put ice directly on your skin to heal or soothe an injury. Please wrap ice or your cold pack in a towel or cloth before applying it.
Depending on the type of injury, you can use both alternately or use one to help soothe the pain.
When should I use a hot and cold pack?
Heat therapy (where you use a hot pack) can help chronic conditions, such as reoccurring joint pain and neck or back pain. It can also be effective for muscle or joint tension as the heat increases the blood flow around the injury.
Cold therapy (where you use a cold pack) should be used when you’ve just injured yourself as it’s most effective when swelling and inflammation first begin.
Are hot and cold packs good for back pain?
Using both is ideal for back pain, as heat therapy (hot packs) can promote blood flow to the area, whereas cold therapy can reduce inflammation and swelling. If you’ve recently injured your back, you’d use cold therapy first for no more than 15 minutes and then move onto heat therapy later on.
What’s the difference between a hot and cold pack?
A hot pack provides heat, which can help soothe your muscles and increase circulation and blood flow to an affected area. A cold pack provides cold, and is ideal for pain that comes on suddenly, as it reduces swelling and inflammation in the affected area.