Replace hot packs with ice packs for muscle and joint pain.

A frozen shoulder can make the best of us scream in agony. The pain can shoot to such an extent that the sufferer may not be able to hold a pen in his hand and sign a cheque or a register, or is unable to press a key on the keyboard of a computer or the dial pad of a mobile phone. In order to gain relief from this kind of pain, a thermal pack can be put to use. There are two types of thermal packs: An ice pack and a hot pack. An ice pack is a better choice in this scenario. A hot pack will only provide temporary relief.

The pain from a frozen shoulder can prevent a person from even reaching upto his head to comb his hair. The unbearable pain prevents the sufferer from performing many mundane and routine tasks. Household chores, involving moving the arm or the shoulder, become impossible. Beginning with a discomfort in shoulder while moving it backwards, the pain from a frozen shoulder can render the victim desperate for relief at any cost. This pushes them in the direction of the simple home remedy of a thermal pack. In this case, a cold pack delivers more favorable results over a hot pack. If one identifies the pain of the frozen shoulder at its onset and applies a ice pack 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes each in day, the ailment can be stopped from furthering on its tracks.

Many people wonder how an ice pack is able to provide relief in any such kind of pain. Generally, a hot pack has always been more effective than a cold pack in case of pain. Why favor the ice pack now? And at the end, the shoulder is frozen. What difference does it make if the pack is hot or cold? But there is a scientific reason behind the effectiveness of the ice pack.

Whenever there is pain or there is swelling, the blood cells in muscular tissues expand. Ice packs help these expanded cells to contract. Also, the ice pack numbs the pain. The pack also helps in preserving the cells that are on the verge breaking. It also helps in creating new cells. As a result, an ice pack is able to deliver relief in case of a kind of swelling. However when a shoulder goes from swollen to frozen, an ice pack is not recommended. This is because an ice pack is bound to make the shoulder further stiff. An ice pack would be useful if there is swelling around the frozen shoulder. The degree of relief that an ice pack provides at the initial stages of frozen shoulder is reduced greatly in an advanced stage. So an ice pack is not of much help at this stage. This increases the stiffness. This is why it is advised that, the moment one begins feeling shoulder pain any restrictions in the movement of the shoulder, you must start the ice pack therapy. It is imperative to not use a hot pack as it increases the chances, of incurring this ailment, greatly. An ice pack serves as a great natural remedy at the initial phases of this ailment.

Whenever you experience shoulder pain, even due to reasons such as lifting heavy weights or an accidental jerk, an ice pack is an essential remedy for instant relief. But, for instance, if a housewife is making tea in the kitchen and feels pain or stiffness while reaching for a cup in the upper shelf, then in this instance it is advisable to use a hot pack. This results in loosening of the muscle and results in relief from the pain or stiffness. However, believing that an ice pack cannot be used in a frozen shoulder scenario is categorically wrong.