If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, you might wonder how to alleviate the issue without it affecting your work or activities too much. You can purchase different kinds of medications or look into other alternative treatments, but there are also some simple self-care methods you can try out instead—one of which is using a heating pad for shoulder pain. Here’s more about why this works and what kind to choose for the most relief!
Heat dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow
A heating pad can be an easy and effective way to manage your pain. The heat from the pad is absorbed by your muscles, dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow. This helps to relieve pain and heal injuries faster. Heat also relaxes the muscle, causing it to stretch and release tension that might have built up over time. It may take a few minutes before you feel any relief but if you sit with the pad on your shoulder while reading or watching TV, you’ll probably notice some improvement in less than 10 minutes.
Heat relaxes muscles
A heating pad is an effective tool to use to help with shoulder pain. Heat relaxes muscles, so it can provide relief from muscle spasms and stiffness. The heat helps to increase blood flow, bringing nutrients to the muscle cells and removing waste products that have built up due to inflammation. The heat can also act as a counter-irritant, reducing the sensation of pain by irritating the skin of the sore area.
Use a heating pad before bedtime or when you’re sitting at home watching TV or reading. Put it on your sore shoulder so that it’s on one side of your body, not directly on top of your spine or neck because this can be too intense and cause more discomfort if you are sensitive to heat.
Heat decreases inflammation
A heating pad can be used to decrease inflammation in the shoulder. This may take time, but over time the pain will lessen. It’s best to heat up the area as hot as it can comfortably be without causing discomfort and leave it on for at least fifteen minutes. The heat should be applied directly to the shoulder, not just on top of clothing. For instance, if you’re wearing a shirt, unbutton your shirt and make sure that your skin is touching the surface of the pad. The heat will help decrease any swelling and muscle tightness in that area which will allow you to move your arm more easily or sleep with less pain.
Heat is drug-free and non-invasive
Heat therapy is the most popular form of pain relief. It is drug-free and non-invasive, and has been used by humans since ancient times. Heat therapy works by increasing blood flow to an injured area and triggering the body’s natural healing process. This helps to reduce inflammation, which can be a cause of chronic pain.
Heat therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat muscle aches, stiffness, joint pain and sports injuries. In fact, studies show that heat therapy is more effective than over-the-counter pain relievers like Advil or Aleve at decreasing joint swelling and stiffness in arthritis patients.
How to use a heating pad
A heating pad is an easy and effective way to help with shoulder pain. By gently warming up the muscles in your shoulder, they will be able to relax and decrease the tension in the muscle. Heat therapy also helps increase blood flow and circulation which can speed up healing. Here are some other tips when using a heating pad:
-Don’t use it too often – heat therapy should not be used more than 20 minutes at a time because heat can irritate the skin and cause burns.
-Do not use it on open wounds or skin that is irritated
-Never apply it directly onto your skin – always place an item between you and the heating pad to prevent burns
-Keep children away from it, as their skin is much more delicate
Weighted Heating Pad for Neck and Shoulders, Comfytemp 2.2lb Large Electric Heated Neck Shoulder Wrap for Pain Relief - 9 Heat Settings, 11 Auto-Off with Countdown, Stay on, Backlight - 19"x22"
$44.99
