A study of people using ice therapy for gout found that it made some improvement to their pain but it did not reduce swelling. All the cool bags we tested so far perform decently, but the best ones keep water cool all day, whereas in the worst, the water is closer to room temperature by the end. Leakproof The best cool boxes keep the contents chilled better for longer. The best electric cool boxes cooled the chilled bottles of water to an even lower temperature by the end of the day than when we put them in. Leakproof Additional research and reporting were done by Mattie Schuler, an adventure journalist who specializes in the outdoor industry.

Heat causes the blood vessels to open wide (dilate). This brings more blood into the area to stimulate healing of damaged tissues. It has a direct soothing effect and helps to relieve pain and spasm. It can also ease stiffness by making the tissues more supple.Size You'll generally find that cool boxes have larger capacities. You can get cool bags up to 50 litres, but if you need more consider a cool box instead. Anti-burst technology – we have purposely and scientifically under-filled all Cool-Ice bottles by 8-9%, which massively reduces the risk of bursting in transit.

Just soaking in warm water alone can help relax muscles and loosen stiff joints, but adding a magnesium soak to your bath can further relax your muscles. Magnesium plays an essential role in the healthy function of your muscles and joints and soaking it through your skin is considered to be the best way to obtain magnesium. When should heat not be used? If you're into trekking, want something for the odd picnic, or to keep your lunch cool for work A cooler bag may be the way to go. This is because salt can lower the freezing point of the ice and this causes the ice to stay colder for longer. As a general rule never use ice for longer than 20 minutes at a time. Leaving ice on an injury for too long can reduce the blood flow to the injury and slow the healing process. If the problem gets worse or doesn’t show significant improvement in 48 hours, it is important to consult your doctor.

The pain experienced in the 12-48 hrs following over-exertion is due to many very small injuries to the muscle fibres or to the tendons that attach the muscles to the bones. Blood rushing to the area causes inflammation, redness and tenderness, therefore cold is used to reduce blood circulation. After a hard work out Containing extracts of fresh Arnica flowers, our Atrogel Arnica Gel can help relieve stiff, sore joints and muscles, as well as inflammation causes from strains, sprains and pains. This easy-to-apply, non-greasy gel can be used up to 4 times a day. Arnica Skin Cream