Lavery MJ, Kinney MO, Mochizuki H, Craig J, Yosipovitch G. Pruritus: an overview. What drives people to scratch an itch? Ulster Med J. 2016;85(3):164–173. Kolasinski, S. L., et al. (2020). 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation duideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. We definitely don’t realise how great of a role our shoulders play on a day-to-day basis until we are afflicted with shoulder pain. All of a sudden, simple and mundane tasks like brushing your hair, putting on clothes and even reaching for something can put you in a world of pain. Suffering from shoulder pain is indeed debilitating and can put your life and chores on hold, so finding relief is crucial.

Wachholz PA, Masuda PY, Pinto ACVD, Martelli ACC. Impact of drug therapy on brachioradial pruritus. An Bras Dermatol. 2017;92(2):281–282. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20175321 Our shoulders have a tremendous range of motion, making them the most movable joint in the human body. They help us carry out everyday tasks such as reaching, lifting, carrying and performing exercises. For post-exercise aches and pains, this durable product will mould to your body to provide cooling treatment exactly where you need it most.

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While similar to tendinitis in that there’s tendon pain, tendinosis is distinct because of the cause: a chronic, long-term condition caused by a degenerating tendon. Because this condition involves irritation and stiffness in tendons attached to joints, heat is best for relieving stiffness in the joints, but only after the inflammation resolves. How to safely apply ice and heat

A healthy shoulder allows the arm to move in all different directions. No other bodily joint can do this, not even finger joints, ankles or hips. Shoulder pain is nothing to shrug about If any redness, swelling, or bruising is present, use cold therapy instead for a few days until it subsides. The standard size measures 36.8 x 26.5cm and is perfectly suited to treat most body parts including knees, thighs, calves, shoulders, feet and arms.If you’re dealing with lingering injuries (older than 6 weeks) then it’s okay to use heat. The increased blood flow relaxes tight muscles and relieves aching joints. This is especially helpful to improve range of motion on a joint that maybe isn’t moving as well. You may not think much of it, or perhaps you’ve even shrugged it off, but the shoulder is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. Icing an injury reduces blood flow to the area, which decreases inflammation and can even speed up recovery time. Ice also numbs the affected area, which helps with pain relief. But, when something hurts, what will make it feel better: ice or heat? And when does it make sense to use both? When dealing with injuries, it’s best to predominantly choose ice if the injury is acute (less than 6 weeks old). The chill constricts blood vessels which numbs pain, relieves inflammation and limits bruising.

With a heavy-duty nylon exterior and double sealed seams, it's also well-made and strong, so there's no danger it'll leak out while in use. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Because of the shoulders’ everyday function and use, there are several conditions and factors that can contribute to shoulder pain.

You can apply ice and heat in lots of ways. Our experts generally recommend up to 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off: