Moist Heat Treatment of Arthritis

Heat and Cold? Both

Both heat and cold are common and very effective treatments for reducing the pain and stiffness due to arthritis.

• Heat — increases blood circulation, which nourishes and removes toxins from muscle fibres.
• Cold — soothes excited nerve cells and reduces swelling in an inflamed joint by constricting blood flow. 

Everyone reacts differently to these types of treatments. We layout several approaches for you to try. If one does not work for you try another approach. It often works best as a complentary treatment to other forms of pain management. Often the most profound relief comes from alternating cold and heat. Cold treatments should not be employed for more then 20 minutes. Often the best results is found by altering the heat and cold every five minutes.

A few suggestions before you heat up or chill out:

Check with your doctor first to find out if there are any reasons why you shouldn’t use a hot or cold applications. A cold application may not be appropriate, for example, if you have poor circulation, vasculitis or Raynaud’s phenomenon, because cold will shrink already diminished blood vessels. Make sure you don’t fall asleep with a heating pad on your painful joint; you could burn yourself severely. Whether you’re applying heat or cold, avoid extremes: Don’t make your icepack or heating pad too hot or too cold, always place a towel or extra padding under the heat or cold source to avoid burning or freezing your skin, and leave it on for no more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.

The majority of creams and gels are counter-irritants; they use heat or cold to distract you from your pain by amplifying the nerve signals received by your brain’s pain centres. Overwhelmed by the influx of chemical messages, your brain temporarily ’switches’ them off, thus providing pain relief. Heat, which is usually recommended for muscle pain, promotes blood circulation, which nourishes and detoxifies muscle fibres. Cold, on the other hand, soothes excited nerve cells and reduces swelling in an inflamed joint by constricting blood flow

Both heat and cold have a role to play in arthritis pain management, particularly as supplements to other pain-control strategies. A hot-water bottle wrapped in a towel or a damp towel warmed in a microwave oven are other effective methods of applying heat, but avoid heating pads, since the dry heat they supply can burn your skin. Mentholated, alcohol-based gels are an ideal solution when you’re travelling, but for the real numbing effect of cold, they can’t replace an icepack. Gel packs that can be frozen, or heated in a microwave oven or boiling water, are a versatile approach to pain relief.

Capsaicin, the alkaloid that gives chili peppers their fire, has also been recruited as a counterirritant. Capsaicin’s qualifications as a counterirritant are obvious to anyone who’s ever felt the numbing effects of a spicy pepper on bare skin. Prescription creams that consist of as little as 0.025 to 0.075% capsaicin (a tube of cream may contain as much pure capsaicin as hundreds of chili peppers) can generate a feeling of warmth on the skin, although the effect is muted enough that you can apply the treatment several times a day.

Capsaicin appears capable of reaching past surface pain to the molecular level by affecting Substance P (SP), a chemical that transmits pain impulses to the central nervous system. Several multicentre clinical trials of topically applied capsaicin have shown it to be an effective therapy for people suffering from the pain of arthritis, diabetes and herpes. According to this research, capsaicin first stimulates neurons to release SP, then prevents the neurons from producing more. Once depleted of their essential transmitter, the neurons can no longer relay pain signals.

About Arthritis
People who experience pain in their joints may suffer from arthritis. There are two different types of arthritis:Osteoarthritis, which is the most common form, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is caused by general wear and tear on the joints and usually affects the joints of the spine, knees, and hips. Most people in their fifties or sixties have some joint changes, but they only experience occasional mild pain. Sometimes, however, the cartilage in the joint disintegrates more than usual, and the joint becomes increasingly painful and stiff.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease of the joints, and its exact cause is unknown. The membrane surrounding a joint gradually becomes inflamed and swollen, which leads to general inflammation of the affected joint. Arthritis usually affects the small joints in the hands and feet (mainly the knuckles and toe joints), but it can also occur in the wrists, knees, ankles, neck, and low back. Arthritic joints become red, swollen, stiff and painful to move. The stiffness is usually most noticeable in the morning.

About Moist Heat Treatments for Arthritis

For individuals with Osteoarthritis, moist heat can help relax tight muscles, decrease joint stiffness, and temporarily relieve pain. For the most effective treatment, build up heat quickly and maintain the heat as high as you are able to tolerate. Continue the treatment for 15-30 minutes.

If you suffer from joint stiffness, using a hot pack first thing in the morning can increase flexibility.

If a person suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, moist heat can help relieve morning joint stiffness. During the day, exercise helps to maintain joint motion, and warming the joints before exercise allows for more movement. Because long periods of heat may increase inflammation, limit the treatment to 15-20 minutes if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

To treat either type of arthritis with moist heat, select the correct size pack the Hand cozy is ideal for painful hands; the "Comfort Pack and Herbal buddy” packs are suitable for treatment of the neck, shoulders, knees, and ankles; and the "Back pack and Lumbar pack is best for the hips and the low back.. Before treatment, rest in a comfortable and relaxed position and place the hot pack directly on the skin over the body area you wish to treat. Make sure the hot pack is in close contact with the body.
Lying on the stomach (back or neck treatment)
To be comfortable, place a pillow under your ankles. If your chest is slightly hunched you may be more comfortable with a pillow under it. If you are swaybacked you may prefer a pillow under your stomach.
Caution should be taken if you have insensitive skin or poor circulation.
About Moist Heat

What exactly does heat do?

• Heat improves circulation
 • Heat improves cell function (metabolism)
 • Heat decreases stiffness in tendons and ligaments
 • Heat relaxes the muscles and decreases muscle spasm
 • Heat lessens pain

Medical professionals explain that heat causes dilation of the blood vessels in the area being treated. This increase in blood flow brings fresh blood to the area and takes waste away from it. The result is that heat eases pain and speeds healing.

There are a number of applications that produce cold, including vapocoolant sprays and mentholated gels that are applied to the skin. Cold packs, or ice packs, are especially good for joint pain caused by a flare (whereas you don’t want to apply heat to an inflamed joint). Cold packs are available commercially, but if you feel a need for a quick numbing of a joint that’s sore, inflamed or swollen, take a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer, wrap it in a towel and apply it directly to the painful area. You can also use ice in a plastic bag — again, wrapped in a towel.

Heat is a natural muscle relaxant, an especially good remedy for muscles in spasm from joint pain; it can also be used to stimulate circulation, though it shouldn’t be used on already inflamed joints. There are innumerable sources: Some people find a warm shower or bath are all they need; others like to soak in a hot-tub or whirlpool bath.

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