Did You Overdo It During the Holidays?
You can relieve pain and swelling and promote healing with RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
• Rest – rest and protect the sore area. Take a break from any activity that may cause pain.
• Ice – cold therapy will reduce pain and swelling.
• Compression – wrap the area with an elastic bandage, such as an Ace bandage wrap, to reduce swelling.
• Elevation – try to keep the area at or above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.
ICE vs. HEAT
Always use ice if you think you have a bleed. Ice shrinks the blood vessels, slows the blood flow to the area, and helps the body to heal. Don’t use heat for a bleed because it increases the blood flow. You can use heat if you are having trouble finding a vein to give a factor infusion, but not for a bleed. There are several ways to apply “ice” to a bleed. It could be something as simple as using frozen peas that you might have on hand. In the pharmacy, we have ice packs (instant and gel packs) available for our customers.
Cool’n Tape®
We have Cool’nTape® (formerly Aquawrap) available to our pharmacy customers for pain relief. Cool’nTape® is a cold compression wrap that cools by evaporation. It’s great for joint bleeds because it can wrap all around the joint and is reusable. Be sure to keep some on hand, just in case.
Paincakes™- the Cold that Sticks!
Paincakes™ are a convenient new way to apply cold therapy or ice. Innovative technology lets you apply the cold pack right where you need it and it stays in place. They come in specially designed, resealable, zippered pouches that keep the “stick” inside. They are latex-free and hypoallergenic and created to stick more than 100 times. Paincakes™ will change the way you apply cold therapy.
Paincakes™ come with some consumer warnings, such as not to use on small children or on open wounds. They are not recommended for your face or sensitive skin. For chronic or prolonged pain, please consult your doctor.
The best news is that you can get Cool’n Tape®, Paincakes™, gel packs, and more from your HoG and Beacon pharmacies just by asking for them when you place your order. Now, that’s cool!