An ideal gift for family or friends, our Ultimate Gift Set is the answer to any and every hot or cold therapy use you may need. The gift set includes two pocket packs, one hand warmer, one neck and should, and one back.
Measurements:
Back - 14" x 5.5"
Neck & Shoulder - 16" x 10"
Hand Warmer: 6.5" x 4.5"
Pocket Packs: 3.5" x 2.5"
Potential Conditions: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, neck pain
Symptoms: stiffness, aching, muscle pain, pain, lower back pain, upper back pain, muscle spasms, arm pain, buttock pain, foot pain, hip pain, leg pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, thigh pain, reduced joint movement, stiff joint, swollen joint, warm joint, joint pain, neck stiffness, ankle pain, elbow pain, finger pain, hand pain, knee pain, wrist pain, tender points, tenderness, symptoms worse in A.M., symptoms worse in evening
When To Use Hot/Cold Therapy for Neck Pain:
The tricky part is knowing what situations calls for hot, and which calls for cold. Sometimes a single treatment will even include both. As a general rule of thumb, use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Use heat for muscle pain or stiffness.
Initially, it’s better to apply ice or cold packs for neck pain because they can temporarily close small blood vessels and prevent swelling from becoming worse. After a couple days, ice or heat can be applied on an alternating basis. Applying continuous heat can cause increased swelling.
Heat helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles. Cold helps numb sharp pain and reduce inflammation. Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues and to stimulate blood flow to the area. Use heat treatments for conditions such as overuse injuries before participating in activities. Do not use heat treatments after activity, and do not use heat after an acute injury.
Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promote blood flow, and help sore and tightened muscles relax. ... Heat therapy is usually more effective than cold at treating chronic muscle pain or sore joints caused by arthritis.
Cervical disc disease may be the most common cause of neck pain. It's caused by an abnormality in one or more discs, the cushions that lie between the neck bones (vertebrae). When a disc is damaged, usually due to wear or tear (degeneration) or to disc herniation, it can lead to neck pain from inflammation or muscle spasms. In severe cases, pain and numbness can occur in the arms from nerve irritation or damage from pinching a nerve.
With cervical disc disease, neither heat nor cold is going to penetrate deeply enough to actually relieve the inflammation, so use whichever feels best. Regardless of whether you choose cold or heat, keep it on for only about 20 minutes at a time and then leave it off for at least 40 minutes. Wrap the ice or heat source in a towel -- never put it directly against your skin.