Whether you have a sprain or minor aches, heat therapy can provide beneficial pain relief for a variety of ailments and injuries. Not only does it relax sore muscles, but it also helps increase blood flow and circulation to promote healing. To ensure safe, effective results, consider the do’s and don'ts in the guide below.

Do:

Use heat for old injuries or chronic pain.

While heat therapy is an easy and inexpensive way to relieve muscle stiffness, especially in the neck and back, it’s best suited for older injuries, including deep and chronic muscle and joint pain. Fresh injuries with inflammation should always be treated with ice, which reduces pain, limits bruising, and relieves swelling.

Use moist and dry heat as needed.

There are two forms of heat therapy, wet and dry. Dry therapy, such as electric heating pads, is beneficial when applied for shorter periods to treat minor discomfort like menstrual pain or neck stiffness.

Studies show that warm therapy, such as baths, moist heating packs, and steamed compresses, penetrate deep-tissue pain faster than dry heat, making it a more effective form of pain relief for muscle sprains, as well as sports and fitness-related injuries.

Don't: 

Apply excessive heat.

When you're in pain, it may be tempting to turn your heating pad up to high and apply it to the affected area, but excess heat can be dangerous, resulting in painful burns on your skin. When using any form of electric heat treatments, the device should feel warm to the touch, but not overly hot. Also, consider a device with an automatic shut-off to remain safe if you fall asleep during use.

Use heat therapy on swollen injuries.

Because heat increases your blood flow, it should never be used to treat swelling or inflammation. Applying heat compresses to swollen areas will increase swelling and slow down the healing process.

Instead, apply ice to areas where you're experiencing inflammation. Once the swelling is completely gone, then you can alternate between ice and heat, as needed.

If you're using heat therapy to treat chronic aches and pains, contact the professionals at Get Well Family Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. Since 1997, the experienced team has provided a variety of chiropractic services and therapeutic pain relief treatments to help you live a pain-free life. Call (314) 524-2580 to schedule an appointment or visit them online to learn more about their services.