Providing care for others is not only emotionally challenging, it can be physically painful. Effectively managing pain involves the use of over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and supplements, prescription medications, exercise, stretching, and an anti-inflammatory diet. Cold therapy is also becoming a more popular technique for reducing and managing caregiving-associated pain.
Cold therapy is also known as cryotherapy and it works by reducing blood flow to the inflamed muscle, joint, or tendon. The cold temperature then begins to reduce swelling and inflammation, thereby decreasing the amount of pain. Cold therapy has been demonstrated to also reduce nerve pain for short periods of time.
There are many ways to practice this pain-relieving treatment. You can run the shower on cold, stand in it for around 15 to 30 seconds, then gradually turn up the temperature. You can also get into an ice-cold bathtub for as long as you can take it. You can also walk outside with shorts and a t-shirt when the temperature is in the 40s. Some people will fill a bowl with water with ice and submerge their hands and/or feet for a minute or so. Place cold packs on any area of the body that is in pain or inflamed (spine, neck, back, knee, hip).
Besides reducing pain and inflammation, exposing the body to less than comfortable temperatures has another benefit. It jump-starts our longevity genes. When the body is exposed to colder temperatures, breathing patterns change, blood-flow through the skin changes, heart rate speeds up or slows down. All of these reactions have genetic roots in our fight for survival. Longevity genes also activate brown fat in our back and shoulders, which has been shown to increase longevity.
While there are many methods to manage pain, cold therapy can be beneficial for not only reducing pain, but it may add years to our lifespan.