Using a Moist Heating Pad
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Muscle pains and spasms is something which occurs even while you are not engaged in a strenuous physical activity. If you fall asleep in an awkward position, you will definitely feel muscle pains in your neck, arms, legs or back when you wake up. While swimming, you could feel a spasm in your leg muscles. When this happens, what do you usually use as treatment?
When there is a pain in your neck, back, legs, arms or shoulders, moist heat therapy is one of the most effective treatments that you can use. Just like dry heat therapy, moist heat therapy is the application of heat to reduce the swelling and pain in the affected area. Now, when you compare these two, you will find out that moist heat therapy provides more advantages over the application of 'dry heat'. Here is a quick list of the benefits of moist heat over dry heat therapy:
1. Moist heat embeds deep into the surface of the skin and muscles to provide quicker healing and better pain relief.
2. More individuals who experience muscle pain and stiffness in their joints experience better results with moist heat therapy.
3. Moist heat therapy helps relieve muscle pains, degenerative joint diseases, chronic arthritis and joint problems.
4. Moist heating pads increase blood flow, relieves inflamed joints and maintains the flexibility of the muscles.
Treatment Instructions when using Moist Heating Pads
Those who are experiencing muscle pains and spasms often get confused about when they should use moist heat over dry heat therapy. Here are a few useful instructions that you need to keep in mind when using moist heating pads:
• When using moist heating pads, apply it on the affected area 48 hours within the occurrence of the injury. This would help increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
• Look for a self-hydrating moist heating pad, which is more convenient in the treatment of muscle pains and spasms.
• A good moist heat therapy product can self-regulate the temperature. Remember that a moist heating pad should be warm, but not too hot that there is a probability of burning the skin. The point of the treatment is to allow the moist heat to penetrate deeply into the muscles so that the level of pain and discomfort can be lessened.
• When using a moist heating pad, the rule of thumb is: the longer heat is applied the better. However, it still depends on the level of injury. If you have a minor back pain, for example, a 15 to 20 minute application of the moist heating pad is sufficient. If the pain is more widespread, you may need to apply the heating pad for as long as 30 minutes.
• Any type of heat therapy will not be applicable if you have the following conditions:
- dermatitis
- diabetes
- open wounds
- cognitive impairment
- deep vein thrombosis
- peripheral vascular disease
If you have any of the aforementioned conditions, it is best to consult a medical practitioner before using moist heating pads. Finally, it would help if you would take a look at the online reviews of the moist heating therapy products that you intend to buy.
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