Can women use heat compress during the remission period of chronic pain?

Most women can use hot compresses during the remission period of chronic pain, but they should be avoided in a few special cases, as stepping on them will worsen the discomfort.

Two months ago, a 27-year-old girl came to my clinic. She works as a new media operator. She has been suffering from chronic cervical and shoulder fasciitis pain for almost a year. The pain during the acute attack was so severe that she could not lift her arms. The doctor specifically told her to use cold compresses for pain relief. In the past two months, the pain has become less severe and has entered the remission period. She uses a hot compress pack to apply on her shoulders and neck every day after get off work. Her shoulders, which have been stiff for a day, feel soft and comfortable every time after applying them. Last week, she was just two days into her menstrual period, and she felt a little pelvic pain and soreness in her waist. She thought it was painful anyway, so she applied it on her waist and abdomen as well. However, her aunt, who had been clean at first, had some brown discharge on her underwear for two days in a row. She was so frightened that she hurriedly asked.

In fact, there have been different clinical opinions on whether hot compress can be used during the remission period. Many orthopedic and rehabilitation doctors will recommend chronic pain caused by aseptic inflammation, such as fasciitis, lumbar muscle strain, frozen shoulder, etc. Hot compresses during the remission period are a very cost-effective home care method. It is like "doing a warm SPA" for muscles that have been tense for a long time. After the blood vessels are expanded, the painful wastes of local metabolism can be discharged faster, and muscle spasms can also be relieved. As long as the temperature is suitable and the time is not too long, there are basically no side effects. However, some doctors from gynecology and rheumatology and immunology will give different opinions. If the location of chronic pain is in the waist and abdomen, the cause has not been clearly investigated. For example, it has not yet been diagnosed whether it is ordinary dysmenorrhea or pain caused by endometriosis or chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Or you have a body type with heavy menstruation and easy inflammation. Do not apply it casually on the waist and abdomen even during the remission period. It is likely to increase the amount of bleeding and aggravate the inflammatory reaction, which is counterproductive.

In fact, you don’t need to think about it too complicated. If your pain is in your shoulders, neck, waist, or knees, and it doesn’t feel hot or red or swollen at ordinary times. During the remission period, it just feels stiff, sore, and dull. If you feel no discomfort after hot application, then just apply it without any worries. I have tightness in my shoulders and neck after sitting at my desk for a long time, so I often wrap a hot water bag in a towel and apply it for 15 minutes, which is more comfortable than applying any plaster. But if the pain is in the lower abdomen, it usually hurts a lot, or you haven’t figured out why it hurts, or there is skin damage in the painful area, and it has been less than 24 hours after the partial sealing, don’t apply it blindly even if it is in the remission period. It is safer to ask the doctor first before taking action.

By the way, be careful not to be too hot. Just control the temperature at 40 to 45 degrees, and don’t sleep with it on. There was an old patient who had a bad waist. He slept with the baby warmer at night. The next day, he had a big blister on his waist. It took half a month to heal. I originally wanted to relieve the pain, but instead suffered extra trouble. What a loss.