Can a Hot Water Bottle Ease Aches & Pains?

Do Hot Water Bottles Help with Pain Relief?

Heat is an effective and relatively safe way to help ease many different aches and pains, alongside other forms of treatment. Heat can be applied to the body in the form of a hot water bottle, heating pads or other heating devices. It’s known as “heat therapy”. When used correctly, heat therapy with hot water bottles, are a cost-effective way to ease sore muscles and joints, in the comfort of your own home.

How Does Heat Therapy Work?

Hot water bottles or heat packs, can help with pain relief by:

• Causing blood vessels to widen (dilate). This increases blood flow to the painful area and promotes the healing of any damaged tissue
• Soothing the painful area
• Reducing cramping and spasms
• Reducing stiffness

Which Types of Pain Can Hot Water Bottles Help With?

Heat therapy, including hot water bottles or heat packs, can help to reduce several different types of pain. Examples include:

• Muscle and joint pain: When heat is applied within 48 hours after exercising or playing sport, it can reduce the pain of the muscle soreness felt after exercise, which is also known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. If your muscular or joint pain is caused by a recent injury, resulting in a sprain, strain or other type of tissue injury, it’s best to avoid heat for the first couple of days, and opt for cold relief to avoid swelling.
• Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions: Fibromyalgia is one of the conditions that can cause long-term pain and tenderness. It can limit daily activities and be difficult to treat. Studies have shown that heat therapy may help to ease pain and tenderness caused by fibromyalgia. Research shows that heat can also loosen stiff joints, achy muscles and pain associated with other long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis and other types of arthritis. However, it’s advisable to use cold rather than heat, on joints that are red or swollen, for instance during an arthritis flare.
• Period pain: Period pain is caused by the womb tightening and is a normal part of the menstrual cycle. However, it can affect your daily activities. To help relieve cramps or spasms, you could try placing a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel on your tummy, to help to ease menstrual pains.
• Back pain: A pulled muscle is a common cause of back pain and will most likely go away on its own, improving within a few weeks, if it’s not caused by something serious. Heat therapy can help ease pain from muscle spasms caused by lower back strain. Use a hot water bottle or heat pack to help speed up recovery, relieve joint stiffness and muscle spasms.
• Neck Pain: Neck pain can be caused by an awkward sleeping position, bad posture, a pinched nerve or an injury such as whiplash. Applying heat can help reduce neck pain. You can use a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel for 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day to ease pain or stiffness.

What Is the Best Way to Use a Hot Water Bottle to Reduce Pain?

When using a hot water bottle for pain, be careful to avoid burns. The water in the bottle should be warm but not too hot and the hot water bottle should be wrapped in a towel to help protect your skin. Apply the hot water bottle to the painful area or body part, for 20 minutes. The more towels you use to wrap the bottle, the more gradually the heat will transfer onto your body.

It's also a good idea to check the area of skin where you’re applying heat, before and whilst using it. Heat can dry out the skin and it’s not advisable to apply heat to skin that is damaged or irritated.

When Should You Avoid Using a Hot Water Bottle?

When is heat therapy not recommended for pain?

• If you have recently been injured avoid using heat on the area until healing starts. It can increase bleeding under the skin around the injured area, and this can worsen the problem, delaying healing.
• If you have swelling, rather use ice instead of heat as the cold can help reduce inflammation.
• Remember, not apply a hot water bottle directly to the skin because you could burn or scald yourself.
• If you have poor circulation in certain areas of your body or have poor sensitivity (numbness) to heat or cold, such as with diabetes.
• If the pain is in an area where the skin is in poor condition or there is an open wound.
• If you have an infection.