Our reusable hot/cold compress pack is a very useful item for your first aid kit. These packs can be used to fulfill the function of a heat pack as well as a cold pack, and best of all, they are reusable.
Our Hot/Cold packs come with a handy sleeve which is used to protect the skin as well as to hold the hot/cold pack in place.
When an injury is new (or newly exacerbated) placing something cold at the site of the injury, like the cold option of our hot/cold pack, causes the blood vessels, arteries and veins, to narrow. We do this because the cooling of the injury site reduces blood flow through the area and therefore helps to reduce inflammation, bruising and swelling.
If the injury occured more than 48 hours ago, cooling the area has little to no effect on healing, Instead, adding heat to the area improves healing by opening the blood vessels up and increasing blood flow through injured tissue. Heat is the recommended treatment for chronic, longer lasting problems, specifically when there is tension or tight muscles that need assistance to relax.