Can heat compress be used during the remission period of chronic pain? How often should it be used?

The vast majority of chronic muscle, bone and joint pain can be relieved with hot compresses. Generally, it is controlled to 15-20 minutes each time, with an interval of at least 4 hours between two times. 3-5 times a week is a relatively safe frequency. If you only have slight soreness and stiffness, it is no problem to adjust it to once a day. There is no need to deliberately pursue more applications.

However, not all chronic pain relief periods are suitable for hot compresses, and there are now different clinical opinions on this. For example, when gout patients first enter the remission period, if the blood uric acid has not dropped to the target value, many doctors do not recommend hot compresses. They think that the increase in local temperature may cause the deposited urate crystals to dissolve and spread, which will instead stimulate soft tissue swelling and pain again. I have seen this before. A 28-year-old boy had a gout attack that had just subsided for a week. He wanted to use hot compresses to recuperate, so he applied a hot water bottle to his feet every day. However, the swelling became so swollen the next day that he couldn't even walk on the ground. When he checked, his blood uric acid was still 580 μmol/L. It was indeed a problem because he applied it indiscriminately before reaching the standard.

In fact, the logic of hot compress is very easy to understand. It is like flowing water through a blocked sewer pipe. The appropriate temperature can relax the tight muscles and spasmodic soft tissues. It can also speed up local blood circulation and quickly take away the inflammatory factors that have not been metabolized during the remission period. Many people feel that the soreness, swelling and stiffness are reduced by half after applying it. This is the reason.

But if you have neuropathic chronic pain, such as trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, etc., do not apply heat casually even during the remission period. Such damaged nerves are inherently much more sensitive than ordinary nerves, and hot and cold stimulation may suddenly trigger pain signals. What is good may be a discharge-like stinging sensation after applying it, but the gain outweighs the gain.

As for the frequency, you really don’t have to be greedy. I met an aunt who had suffered from lumbar disc herniation for 3 years. I heard from my neighbor that hot compress is good for the waist. She applied it three times a day in the morning, noon and evening, each time for more than half an hour. After applying it for almost two weeks, the skin on my waist became dark and hard, and I always felt... There was a faint tingling sensation, so I asked her to apply it 4 times a week. After each bath, wrap a thick towel in a warm water bag at about 42 degrees Celsius and apply it for 15 minutes. Within a week, she said that most of the stiffness and discomfort had disappeared, and the tingling no longer occurred.

If you are not sure whether it can be applied according to your condition, it is best to ask the doctor you usually treat first and make a choice based on your type of pain. Don't just follow the trend blindly.