Can heat compress be used during the remission period of chronic pain?

Hot compresses can be used for most chronic pain relief periods, but only a few special types of pain are not suitable. It cannot be said directly that it can or cannot be done. In my daily work as a home rehabilitation coach, I have come across pain caused by chronic strains such as lumbar muscle strain and neck and shoulder myofasciitis. I used to have a 36-year-old design director who suffered from neck and shoulder pain for more than 4 years. After each acute pain, his neck was always as stiff as a rusty bearing and could not turn. Later, I was advised to apply a coarse salt bag of about 42 degrees for 15 minutes every day when I get home from get off work. I persisted for more than three months. Recently, not only has the stiffness disappeared by half, but the frequency of acute pain attacks has also dropped a lot. In fact, for this type of chronic pain caused by strain, there is neither redness, swelling nor burning pain during the remission period. Most of it is due to long-term tension in the local muscle fascia, slow blood circulation, and metabolic waste piles that cannot be discharged. Hot compresses are equivalent to "warming and opening" the stiffened soft tissues. After the blood vessels are expanded, the blood flow becomes faster, the accumulated waste can be transported away in time, and the tense muscles are relaxed, which can naturally help maintain stability and reduce the frequency of pain.

But there have been cases where hot compresses actually caused problems. Previously, there was a 62-year-old aunt who suffered from post-herpetic neuralgia for half a year. During the remission period, she was only occasionally itchy. I heard that hot compresses can relax the meridians and activate meridians, so I put a warm baby on the painful area, but it hurt that night. I had to stay up all night, and when I came for a follow-up check-up, I learned that with this kind of neuropathic chronic pain, the damaged nerves are several times more sensitive than ordinary nerves. They may feel uncomfortable even if they are blown by the wind. The temperature stimulation of hot compresses is completely over-stimulating to it and will induce pain instead. Gout patients should also pay more attention. There was a 29-year-old young man who had high uric acid for 5 years. The chronic gout pain in his toes had only been relieved for two days. He thought of using hot compresses to promote recovery, but he was so swollen that he couldn't put on slippers the next day. This is because if uric acid is not controlled stably and there are local urate crystal deposits, hot compresses can easily induce acute inflammation after dilating blood vessels. This situation is also repeatedly reminded by academic circles, and it is not recommended to blindly apply hot compresses during the remission period of gout.

In fact, if you are not sure whether you can apply it, you can do a small test first. Use a warm towel with a temperature of no more than 45 degrees and apply it on the painful area for 3 minutes. If you feel that the tight area is loosened and you feel comfortable after applying it, then it is no problem to continue applying it. Just control it for 10 to 20 minutes each time. Remember to put a towel on it and do not put it directly on the skin to avoid low-temperature burns. If you still feel tingling, numbness, or discomfort after applying it, don't apply it forcefully. Ask a doctor to evaluate the type of pain. You can also find other relaxation methods that can achieve the same effect.