How to make a simple hot compress for muscle pain

Author: Randy Alexander
Date Of Creation: 4 April 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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How to make a simple hot compress for muscle pain
Video: How to make a simple hot compress for muscle pain

Content

You can do it hot gauze to soothe sore muscles. This can be an effective way to relieve pain in an injury that lasts longer than a day or two. If you want to treat an acute muscle injury (which has just happened within 24 - 48 hours), treat it with ice. Note, however, that serious injury should always be evaluated by a medical professional or a physical therapist.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Make hot compresses

  1. Turn on the hot water tap. You may want to heat the water on the stove or microwave, but you could risk getting the water heated in this way. Instead, turn on the hot water at the sink to a temperature that you can tolerate.

  2. Find a towel wide enough to cover the wound. Fold the towel or cloth just enough to cover the area of ​​the skin you want to apply the gauze to.
  3. Place the washcloth under running water so it becomes soaked. Check to make sure the towel is not too hot when applied to your skin. Then apply on the affected area.
    • Cover the towel for 20 minutes, up to 3 times a day, until the pain subsides.

  4. Warm up the whole body. Instead of applying hot compresses to one area of ​​the body, if you have a lot of sore muscles or the whole body aches after strenuous work, warming the whole body is an effective way to relieve the pain (and also can speed up recovery time afterwards). Options include:
    • Take a hot bath.
    • Take a hot shower.
    • Take a hot tub.
    • Go to the sauna.
    • Go to the sauna.

  5. Be cautious. If you use heat to treat muscle aches regularly, it is important to take the following precautions:
    • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (at least 8 glasses per day). Prolonged heat exposure can cause dehydration, so it is important to drink plenty of fluids.
    • Be careful not to burn. Check the temperature of the towel before using it, or if you are using a hot pack or hot water bottle, wrap it in a towel or cloth before using it to make sure it doesn't burn your skin.
    • Check if the skin is too hot. If it does, or if it hurts, remove the gauze from the skin. Generally your body will let you know when the temperature gets too hot.
  6. Understand why heat can soothe and help relieve muscle pain. Heat helps muscles relax by stimulating blood flow to constricted muscles.
    • Muscle pain often occurs from overworked muscles due to the buildup of a substance called lactic acid.
    • Lactic acid is produced during hard work (or vigorous sports) metabolism, and you need to increase blood circulation to painful muscles in order to dissolve the lactic acid.
    • Note that if you have chronic muscle pain, applying heat before work (or before exercising) can help relieve pain during activity.
  7. Try other options. If you have a hot pack at home or a hot water bottle, these can be quick and effective "home remedies" for sore muscles. If you have frequent muscle aches, you may need to buy a hot pack or hot water bottle so you don't have to make a hot compress yourself with a towel and hot water each time. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Try alternative therapies

  1. Use an anti-inflammatory cream or gel. Apply anti-inflammatory cream to sore muscles after exercising. Some examples are Bengay or Voltaren. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for other recommendations.
    • Pay attention to dosage. Although it is used on the skin, it is absorbed into the body, so you need to know and use the correct dose.
    • Be careful not to apply medicated creams to broken or damaged skin.
    • See your doctor if your pain persists for more than a few weeks after trying topical medications.
  2. Try capsaicin cream. This cream is formulated from hot peppers, and can be used as an effective pain reliever. When you first apply capsaicin to your skin, you may have a tingling sensation or a slight burning sensation. Don't worry because this is natural.
    • Note that capsaicin may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks (applied once a day) to be effective in pain relief. If you are using this therapy, you should pay attention to this amount of time before deciding whether it works for you or not.
  3. See a doctor. If you notice that your muscle pain hasn't improved a week or two after it first appeared, you need to see a doctor or a physiotherapist (someone with experience in diagnosing physical injuries. serious exercise) for accurate examination and diagnosis.
    • If a more serious problem occurs, you need to know early to treat the injury before the condition worsens.
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