Heat or Ice | Arthritis Information

Having a bad flare right now and it's really wierd because I can't really even think or answer normal questions at work.

Thanks

My Rheumy asked what helps with my pain and I told him heat, warm water. He agrees that does help a lot of people. I have a hot tub : )

For me, I need ice if the flare is just starting - heat will take me from excrutiating to KILL ME PLEASE in no time at all! If I've been achey for a while, a warm bath feels lovely.Ice wins for me all the time. But think it is more a matter of preference.

ice works better on the joint swelling but the heat works better on the muscle aches and stiffness...at least for meActually, I was told at arthritis self management school alternating heat and cold every ten minutes is for many people the most effective. I like hot baths and ice gel packs.Gimpy-a-gogo2008-10-21 16:05:05Yeah I agree (what??? I agree w/Gimpy!?) but i think alternating is the best approach and then you can see which one gives you relief. Do you have a heating pad? Sometimes I put mine on "low" and it really helps.[QUOTE=Goldie1605]

My Rheumy asked what helps with my pain and I told him heat, warm water. He agrees that does help a lot of people. I have a hot tub : )

[/QUOTE]

Oh Goldie you are so lucky...I want one!!! BUT, hubby said it's a pool or a hot tub and I opted for the pool so I could get some exercise that way, easier on the joints.

I have raynauds and I get cold so easily. HOT water is what I love to ease the pain.I have a heating pad plugged in by my chair and by my side of the bed. I also use Icy Hot at night when I need to get to sleep and can't stop concentrating on the pain. If it's beyond those things I take a really hot shower. A hot tub sounds good, does it have jets?I like heat. Hot water, heating pads, micro buddies, thermal pads, Icy Hot in every form made....

There is a new one called Night time Medicated Lotion PM- love it!!!!

I'm like KweenB...heat makes the pain a lot worse. Ice is the way to go for me.Ice works for me -- (not forgetting that I have PRA not RA)Sometimes heat helps and sometimes cold helps. For me it varies.ice just kills me, but I have had to alternate heat and ice at times just so I could sleep. I am flaring now and for the last two days, I have been in bed with my warmest winter jammies, flannel sheets, and my electric blanket on high. It feels wonderful!

Heat only for me too. Cold is painful.

I start with iceing then move on to heating. About 30 minutes

for each.

Yep, the hot tub has jets. If you can get a dr. to write a prescription for hot water therapy, you can write off your hot tub as a medical expense. I had lots of pts. do that for back pain in the pain clinic I worked in. Hot tub party............my house : ) Only heat lovers need comeWe installed a standard size bathtub with jets when we remodeled our bathroom. It only added a couple hundred $$$ to the cost of remodeling, since the tub had to be ripped out and replaced anyway. I absolutely LOVE it!!! Rereading this post.I also think it's a matter of preference. I usually prefer heat on my hands unless I'm swelling too much, then cold feels better.What great ideas everyone. I have been really flaring in my neck/uppder back lately. Just reading this again makes me want to leave work early and grab my ice packs and heating pad. I did put a heating pad by my bed and sometimes if I put it on low it will help me relax a little. There is a hot tub in my apartment complex and a heated outdoor pool which I have been trying to use. Just need to wrap up nice and warm going to and from my apartment.

Ice......with Voka poured over it drink it all!....Repeat...Repeat.....hiccup....repate...Reeepeeet...........awwwwwwww...no pain....lol

just kidding. I really dont drink much.

My Grandma who lived to 100 ( 2 months from 101) would take her medicne at night....A SHOT of crown royal.....said it helped her bones from acheing...Gotta love Grams.It is one year This month that she passed. I miss her. She was so very cool.

my doc asked me what helps..I like warm bath with jets and calgon...take me away

Thursday night I was flaring and used heat for awhile then cold. Worked well.

Tara, glad you started this post.

Inflamedonline-funny, funny girl!! Maybe I'll add that to my routine.

Thanks Jan.

One other thing I remember from a few years ago from my pre-diagnosis/fist ever flare up time...my hands and writs were so swollen I couldn't move them and nothing provided relief. My doctor told me to fill up a double sink (or two bowls)...one with very warm water-as warm as you can stand it and the other side with ice cold water with ice cubes in it.

Then imerse your arms into the warm water as far as you can get them in ther for about 5 minutes then switch to the cold water for 5 minutes. Go back and forth for about 20 minutes. This forces circulation in your hands/arms and actually makes the swelling go down for a while, which brings relef from the pain. It is extreme, but during those 'want to cut my hands off' times it allows for a litttle relief.

So off to ice my neck again andice my vodka

Still using heat at times and cold at times.Recently heat is what helped. With the colder weather it seems to do the job.Heat is still the thing. [QUOTE=JasmineRain]I have this shoulder/neck heating pad:...
It's absolutely wonderful![/QUOTE]

Now I have the same one, thanks to you! (or at least I will when the UPS truck braves our path!
[QUOTE=aguaeon] [QUOTE=JasmineRain]I have this shoulder/neck heating pad:...
It's absolutely wonderful![/QUOTE]

Now I have the same one, thanks to you! (or at least I will when the UPS truck braves our path!
[/QUOTE]

You will love it!!! It has moist heat; it takes a bit of getting used to. It can get quite hot! But OMG it absolutely rocks!
They put heat on my shoulder at PT. It felt wonderful. Some times an epson salts bath can relax your muscles a bit. I get Raynauds also. Tends to shy us away from cold. For neck and shoulders pain cream can be very helpful.Yes, moist heat is good. I sometimes just put a towel in very hot water and apply to the sore area. Seems to work.heat in all forms

just the thought of cold makes me hurt

I find that when swollen pretty badly that cold is the best for me, but when there is a lot of pain and little swelling that moist heat is just the ticket. That's also what I was told by the physical therapist when I had my hips replaced. Heat encourages more circulation which in turn can make swelling worse, while cold, in 15 to 20 minute intervals, will take some of the swelling down.

Surprize. Last night cold was helpful rather than heat. For me it varies.Last night it was heat.No matter what you use, it should not be applied for longer than 20 minutes at a time.I usually do less.Still like this post.Heat works for me, Ice makes it worse.I like heat. It always makes me feel better Both....if im flaring badly then i like to put my hands into a hot bowl of water then cold and alternate..it helps me so much...my knees are the same..hot pack then coldStill sometimes heat, sometimes ice.Ok here is a lesson learned. I bought a tube of that capzian topical last night- you know the one that's made from hot peppers...

Applied it- NOTHING! Felt like I used nothing.

A few hrs. later it was time to go to bed, take contacts out, wash face.

I washed my hands and went to take my lenses out- GOOD GOD HAVE MERCY! I thought my eye was going to burn out of my head! I washed my hands again really long and scrubbed them. Same reaction! I had to get them out so I had to suck it up and pull them out! I flooded them with clear eyes to no avail. Now I have to remove my mascara and wash my face....well I went to bed feeling like I had the worst sunburned face. I thought I was going to wake up all swelled up but I didn't. I had to throw the contacts out. Even after soaking all night they were contaminated.

Never again will I use that crap!

Don't like capizan AT ALL. THere was a thread awhile ago where people told of bad experiences with it.WTB - that's terrible!

I saw a 'recipe' for homemade gel packs, if anyone is interested:

Ziploc bag
1 part rubbing alcohol
3 parts water

Freeze overnight.

It said it comes out flexible and moldable, like frozen peas would.
Suzanne-

Sounds good. THanks.

Suzanne- That's a good recipe if it works!

Jan- I must have missed that thread.WTB-

I forget the name of it but there were ALOT of very bad experiences!!!!

Wouldn't it figure my boss suggested I try it...... [QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]Wouldn't it figure my boss suggested I try it......[/QUOTE]

ROTFL!

I think it was a thread about Tiger Balm?
I'll try a search Suzanne- thanks!Still like this thread. Last night used some ice.Heat is best for me. One of the teachers in my department taught me how to make a barley sock. It is the easiest thing to make and works so well for me. You just fill a tube sock (preferable the thinner one) 3/4 of the way full with barely and tie it. When you need to use it put in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes as desired for heat. I keep one in my desk at work and one at home.

I know ice is good for swelling, but I much prefer heat.

I love love love my little 2 person hottub and will miss it sooo much when we lose our house. Even if we're lucky enough to get into an apt complex with one, I'll use it, but it'll be a lot less handy and I'll have to share. (the house seekers today love my home... I have such mixed feelings about that... but that's another story, so now back to topic).

I have an electric heating blanket in living room where we watch tv, I have those rice bag things to put in the microwave mainly for my hands, sometimes feet when they are so icecold they hurt. I try one of my various lotions like icy-hot, tigerbalm, capsorum. My husband's normal daily temp is 99 so he cannot take a heating blanket in bed, even the dual-control kind since mine sometimes gets on him. So, I got one of those smaller heated-throw-blankets and put it ...underneath the sheet on my side of the bed. It works great... warms me but not him and never moves! So in the world of heating me up devices... it takes a village to help me!

CathyMarie