Do I need to use heat or ice with my Armaid?
We often get asked whether it is necessary to do a session of heat or icing before or after using your Armaid.
The short answer for most people is, "Nope!" Neither heat nor ice is a necessary part of the trigger point therapy that you are doing with your Armaid.
In a nutshell, this is what heating and icing do:
- Heating increases blood flow and relaxes your muscles.
- Icing (with a cold compress, not an actual bag of ice) can help bring down muscle inflammation. In general, it should be reserved for times when your muscles are suffering from extreme overuse, or if you've had an impact injury.
But, to quote an old saying from the '60s, "if it feels good, then do it." As long as you follow the basic rule of "20 minutes on, 20 minutes off," there's no reason not to apply heat or ice before or after your therapy session.
Just make sure you have learned the 3-step trigger point therapy technique we teach, and are applying it correctly. That's the most important thing you can do to deal with your chronic arm pain. If you have questions about the technique, review our instructional videos on the website, or send us an email!