Cold Therapy for Burns, Trauma, and Other Painful Conditions

Many conditions can manifest with pain: acute injury, inflammation, burns, trauma, and muscle spasms, to name a few. These conditions can benefit tremendously from cold therapy in terms of natural pain relief and other mechanisms.

Although it is common knowledge that cold therapy provides pain relief, not everyone knows what painful conditions have been proven to benefit from it.

What conditions can benefit from cold therapy?

Pain reduction and relief is achieved after cold therapy in many scenarios. The more common indications for local cold therapy are enumerated below:

• Trauma. Cold therapy reduces edema after trauma. Apply local cold therapy at 8ºC. Do this for 30 minutes to help decrease the swelling.
• Burns. Although an involved area of your body has been successfully removed from the cause of the burn, there is still ongoing burn damage at a microscopic level. To stop extension of burn injuries after the event, provide local cold therapy. Apply cold immediately after superficial burns to reduce edema, pain, redness, and blistering. It is best to use cold therapy before any of these burn complications have occurred.
• Spastic muscles. Cold therapy inhibits muscle spasticity. To do this, provide cold therapy for at least ten minutes. If you have thick fat tissues, you may need to apply cold packs for a longer amount of time (60 minutes).
• Acute inflammation. Insect bites, minor trauma, and many other conditions that produce acute inflammation will benefit greatly from cold therapy.
• Pain. Cold therapy effectively numbs tissues, providing natural pain relief.
• Before limb amputation. If you are to undergo limb amputation (for diabetic foot, major trauma, cancer, etc), cold therapy reduces metabolic processes and helps reduce blood loss during the amputation surgery.
• Neurogenic weakness. Weakness brought about by nerve disease may benefit from cold therapy. The cold temperature produces muscle contractions, strengthening muscles in the process and “re-educating” the muscles.
• Knee flexion restriction after leg fractures. Cold therapy has been proven to be more effective than heat therapy combined with traction and stretching.

Although pain relief is an important goal in these conditions, the other benefits of cold therapy, such as reduced swelling and hemorrhage, are also vital. The use of cold therapy helps people overcome pain and enjoy a better quality of life.

Did you know that a hot compress might be better for other conditions? Learn about heat therapy.

Any violent reactions? Leave a comment!

Sources:

1. Lin YH. Effects of thermal therapy in improving the passive range of knee motion: comparison of cold and superficial heat applications. Clin Rehabil. Sep 2003;17(6):618-23. [Medline].

2. Oosterveld FG, Rasker JJ. Effects of local heat and cold treatment on surface and articular temperature of arthritic knees. Arthritis Rheum. Nov 1994;37(11):1578-82. [Medline].

Natural Remedies for Burns

You just want to check the taste of your cooking food in that pot and you forget to use a potholder. Next thing you know, you feel that sharp flash of pain in your hand which becomes a red and angry burn. Your palm is crying for relief.

You will be amazed to know, though that there are many simple household methods that can give that painful burn quick relief – as long as it is not really serious. Below are some tried and tested tips for burn relief:

• Aloe vera. You probably know this already, so it is wise to keep a potted aloe vera in your kitchen in case of emergencies. Cut open a leaf and squeeze the sap on to your burn. But if keeping and tending to a plant is inconvenient for you, take comfort. Aloe vera gel can effectively give relief too. Just spread it gently on the area with the burn. And, do you know that aloe vera not only gives relief, it helps the burn heals faster, too? Aloe vera actually helps new cells form to replace those cells destroyed by the burn. So apply aloe vera two to four times a day to speed up the healing process.
• Milk. Yes, this is not only good for your bones but for your burn, too. But instead of drinking it, you will apply it externally. Just soak the burned area in whole milk for 15 minutes or longer. If the burned area is big and you cannot soak it, dip a washcloth in milk then apply on the burned area for relief. Do this every two to six hours or as needed.
• Lavender oil. This fragrant and relaxing oil is not only good for aromatherapy but for your burn too. Just drop a little lavender oil straight to your burn. You will not only love its relief but its fragrance too. And, like aloe vera, it speeds up the burn’s healing too.
• Water. This is a good first aid or quick relief if you do not have any of the above remedies at the moment. Soak the burn in cold water until you feel relief. Then soak it to water that is a bit warmer but lower than your body temperature. After this, though, apply any of the above remedies.

So just use any of these items that are most likely available in your home and you will feel relief from your burn in no time. Do take note, though, that the above suggestions are only for minor burns.