Resolving an ailment like Arthritis is not easy; one needs to try permutations and combinations of several treatments to find the right one at the end of the day.
In Arthritis, one has to tackle joint inflammation and a lot of discomforts that come along with the condition. The most common symptom that one can notice over time is constant joint pain, reduced joint motion, redness, warmth when touched, and overall stiffness in the joint. Sometimes these may lead to physical weakness as well.
The most common treatment methods are taking medicines and self-care like physical exercise using supports or braces. There are tons of therapy that you can choose from, like hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, and finally, heat therapy. And heat therapy is the one we discuss here.
How can heat therapy help in arthritis?
You take your medications as prescribed. Perhaps you see a physical therapist regularly or practice yoga occasionally to help manage arthritic symptoms – both are wise actions. Even if you follow your treatment plan religiously, there will be mornings when it is challenging to get your body going. And there will be days when tight, achy joints make it difficult to do work. That is when you should consider heat treatment. It has been proven that heat therapy helps provide instant pain relief in the joint and increases flexibility.
When should you apply heat therapy?
Heat therapy works best for many patients when paired with other treatment techniques, such as physical therapy and exercise.
The heat reduces joint stiffness, its warmth softens the muscles and connective tissue and increases joint flexibility. The heat dilates the blood vessels in the muscles, increasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Increase joint fluid. Warming the joint, followed by mild stretching and flexing, can stimulate the formation of joint fluid (synovial fluid), which improves joint lubrication and nutrition supply to joint tissue.
Types of heat therapy you can try arthritis.
Heat Water bag: One of the most traditional, affordable, and safe complementary therapy is taking a warm bath or using a heated compress. And hot water bag serves the exact purpose. They aid in the relief of joint stiffness, muscular pain, and a variety of bodily aches, injuries, and spasms. These hot water bags are a must-have because of their convenient leak-proof function and high-quality material.
Heat Patches: A heat patch is adhesive patches/ tapes that are medicated to cure joint aches and mild muscular and other pains, such as Arthritis, backache, and sprain.
The patch’s constant low-level heat relieves pain by triggering heat receptors, improving blood flow to relax tight muscles, minimizing muscular spasms, and promoting the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the wounded tissue.
Hot compression: A heat compress is a simple approach to improve blood flow to painful parts of your body. This enhanced blood flow has the potential to alleviate pain and hasten the healing process. The heating source could be either sock filled with warm rice, microwavable pads, or chemical heating pads. But, an electric heating pad with far infrared technology should be chosen out of all these. The benefits of far infrared rays are not hidden; they seep deep into the skin and provide long-lasting pain relief to the patient.
Warm Shower: Hot water bath works by opening your blood vessels, allowing more blood and oxygen to flow to the sore location. This improved circulation helps to calm your muscles and painful spots. Only twenty minutes in a warm shower can help pain management for various ailments.
Paraffin Wax: Paraffin wax is a soft white substance generated from petroleum, coal, or oil shale that is composed of a combination of hydrocarbon molecules comprising between twenty and forty carbon atoms. It functions similarly to heat treatment in that it can assist enhance blood flow, relax muscles, and reduce joint stiffness. Paraffin wax can also treat muscular spasms, inflammation, and sprains, helping with arthritis pain.