The hand warmers are great for everything from warming the hands on a cold day, to alleviating discomfort from poor circulation in your hands and fingers, arthritis, and carpel tunnel. Place the hand pack in the freezer to create an ice pack perfect for hot and cold therapy. Made with a durable medical grade outer shell for longer lasting healthy heat.
* Includes one hand pack
Applying heat or ice is a common method for treating injuries, stiffness, swelling and pain. When used for fingers, hands and wrists, it can be very helpful for:
- Recent injuries (bruises or fractures) or chronic injuries
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Irritation
BENEFITS OF HEAT TREATMENTS
Heat or warmth will help get things moving by speeding up the molecules in tissues and increasing blood flow. Heat is helpful for stiff joints and muscles, and can be useful prior to an activity. We often see an athlete warming up before a workout.
A warm shower or bath can help sore, stiff joints, especially in the early morning. A warm compress or heating pad can also relieve stiffness (Figure 1); however, too much heat could cause fainting, swelling, or burns to skin and tissues, so use heat treatments with moderation.
BENEFITS OF ICE TREATMENTS
If there is pain, swelling and irritation after an activity, ice treatments can reduce these symptoms. Cold slows down the molecules in tissues and reduces blood flow.
The most common cold treatments are ice or something that has been made cold by placing it in the freezer, such as a gel pack (Figure 2). Apply ice for 15 minutes, then allow a 15-minute rest before reapplying.
As with heat, too much cold can slow down and stiffen sore joints, so use this treatment with moderation. Applying ice or anything extremely cold to bare skin can cause injury. Always wrap the source of cold in some sort of fabric. If a bandage or splint is too thick and the cold is not getting through, apply the cold near the area on exposed skin. Stop using ice if you feel extreme pain or numbness due to the cold.
When To Use Heat or Cold
Heat can relax muscles and help lubricate joints. Heat therapy may be used to relieve muscle and joint stiffness, help warm up joints before activity, or ease a muscle spasm. Cold can reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain related to arthritis and activity. (It is also recommended to treat many acute injuries.)
Heat should be used for chronic pain or an injury that is older than a day. It will help relax muscles and soothe stiff joints. Note: Do not use heat for acute injuriesbecause it can increase inflammation and even delay healing.
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.
Ice packs are often used after injuries like ankle sprains have occurred. Applying an ice pack early and often for the first 48 hours will help minimize swelling, and decreasing swelling around an injury will help to control the pain.
“As a general rule, I recommend heating a joint such as the knee or ankle before exercise, competition, or therapy. The primary objective of warming up is to prepare our tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints for the explosive forces that are applied to these tissues during strenuous activity,” says Luga Podesta, MD, director of sports medicine at St. Charles Orthopedics in Port Jefferson, New York.