Are you able to relief your joint, muscle or bone pain "in the field" when there are no painkillers around? Do you know how to aid yourself in an effective manner the easiest way possible? The most common solution in such situations is using cold or heat to relief pain in the affected area. You have definitely heard about that, but do you know when the right time to use these options is? Here’s a short guide to help you understand when to apply heat or cold to the aching part of the body:

Rule #1: If you know what’s best for you, do it! In moments of injury you will definitely hear a lot of advice on how to relieve the pain. And some will certainly contradict the other. In case you know which is the best way for relieving your pain – just do it without listening to anyone. It definitely sounds prick-ish but when you’re hurt you should rely on yourself, as you know what exactly works for you.

Rule #2: Do not exaggerate the treatment by burning or freezing yourself. Sure it sounds evident enough, however many people seem to forget that moderate application of cold or heat is what really needed. Quite often people freeze out their joints believing that more application will lead to better pain relief. Of course, this will only make things worse. So when you feel that the affected area is already cold or hot enough to cause discomfort stop your pain relief immediately.

Rule #3: When using heat for pain relief, you should be very careful about the pressure and the duration you apply. Keep it moderate for the best effect. The source of heat shouldn’t come into close contact with the affected area, wrap it into a towel and simply put it next to the aching area. Do not keep it longer than 20 minutes. If you still experience discomfort, you can repeat the application again after 20 minutes of rest.

Rule #4: Do not apply heat or cold over patches or topical solutions that already act like thermal pain relief. By doing so you risk leaving a burn on your skin and suffering from different kind of pain later on.

Rule #5: Do not lie over a heating pad or ice. This will put too much pressure on the affected area and make it freeze/burn in a short period of time. Simply wrap the source of heat or cold into a towel or a plastic bag and apply moderately to the aching region.

Of course, expecting strong pain relief like with using Tramadol is not quite smart, but heat and cold can definitely aid you when there’s nothing around that can help you at the moment. Remember that the main idea with such pain relief is being moderate about it. Do not push too hard or keep it for too long, or you will definitely need a bit of Tramadol to relieve your burn pain. If the pain persists regardless of your efforts, you should definitely seek medical assistance because things can be worse than you expect.