Sports injuries? Warm up with a warm compress; cool down with a post-workout cold compress

We’ve all seen athletes and sports enthusiasts apply cold treatments to their post-game injuries. Cold therapy helps relieve inflammation and swelling and numbs the pain of those bothersome new injuries.

What you may not know is that these athletes also use warm compresses as part of their pre-game preparations. A hot or warm compress is a natural part of any warm-up. The heat goes deep to relieve the aches and pains of old injuries, reduce stiffness in joints and tightness in muscles prior to taking part in a sport or workout. Make sure that your compress provides moist heat since it penetrates deeper into the tissue and increases blood flow to the targeted area and provides speedy recoveries.

Why is it so much more beneficial to use both hot and cold?

For sports and working out, heat therapy helps you to warm up. Afterwards, cold therapy will provide a much needed cool down.

 Use a hot or warm compress to perform your best:

• Loosen joints and muscles for better performance.
• Lessen the chance you’ll be injured in your sport or workout.

A heat treatment is also the answer to:

• Prevent the aggravation of any chronic injury or pains – those injuries that you’ve had for a while.
• Improve your range of movement and activity.

Post-game or workout, it’s time to chill out with a cold compress!

• Provides immediate relief for any acute injuries you may have incurred during your game or workout – injuries that have occurred in the past day or two.
• To relieve stiffness from overexertion.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or take your daily athletics seriously, count on warm or cold compresses to keep you in tip-top form.