Which is better for Muscle Pain: Hot Pack or Cold Pack?
If you suffer from spinal (back/neck), nerve or joint pain, you may have come across conflicting advise on the use of hot and cold pack for pain relief. This age old debate on hot packs and cold packs can be easily sorted by understanding how these two packs work and their effect on the body. Usage also depends on what is a cause of the muscle pain, whether it is a muscle spasm (tightness) or an acute injury or chronic pain. If you are a working mum like me this blog this will save you time from your already busy schedule by helping you to decide whether to use a hot pack or a cold pack for your muscle pain. 
 
Lets first understand what a hot pack and a cold pack does. Our blood vessels are like flexible rubber pipes. When you apply a cold pack the rubber pipe or blood vessel will shrink or constrict (vasoconstriction). This will slow down the blood flow to the area. So if there is an acute injury to the area this slowing down of blood flow will give time to the body to wash out the swelling and inflammation in the injured area. It is similar to having an overflowing drain. In order to clear the overflowing water you want to slow down the water flow and first clear out the congestion that is causing the overflow of water. If you have muscle pain due to an acute injury or inflammation in the area then a cold pack is beneficial for you. Inflammation can manifest as ache or soreness in your muscles. 
 
A hot pack dilates or expands (vasodilates) the blood vessels. This increases the blood flow to the area. If you have a muscle spasm or tightness or a sudden catch in your muscles or you wake up with stiffness in your joints or spine (back or neck) the hot pack will help by washing out the metabolites and pain producing substances in the area. Heat also causes relaxation of the stiff muscles due to the increased blood circulation and promotes flexibility of the muscles. 

Watch this video for a deeper understanding on the use of hot and cold packs:

 These are the general guidelines for the use of heat or cold packs but the final decision of whether you should use a hot pack or a cold pack depends on how your body responds to it.  Listen to your body on the body and see what works better for you. It is possible that this effect varies between different body parts and from one person to another. 
 
If you want to know the hot and cold packs that I use, you can find them HERE.

If you want to learn more about easy ways to manage your spinal (neck & back) and joint pain, join my free community where we have done free trainings on "Simple Solutions to Manage Your Back/ Neck Pain"
 
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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach and a Certified Posture Expert. I use my proven system to help mums of younger kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage their back, neck, and nerve pains, despite low energy levels and brain fog. I do all this without taking away a big chunk of their time out of their already busy day. This enables them to be more productive and capable professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can focus on their kids instead of always being distracted by pain. 



My passion for helping executive mums stems from my own experiences. I have been in the same boat and understand the frustration and helplessness of being in constant pain or being afraid to engage in activities due to the fear of pain. After two pregnancies in the span of three years and juggling my two kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was constantly in pain. The weight gain from motherhood added extra stress to my already overburdened spine and joints. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of weight loss and spinal/nerve pain that I just couldn’t break free from.

On top of the physical pain, I also suffered from adrenal fatigue. I often felt exhausted, waking up groggy even after a full night’s (10 to 12 plus hours!) sleep, and struggled with low energy levels and brain fog. Simple tasks became challenging, and I found myself forgetting things and unable to think clearly. It was incredibly frustrating and made it even harder to balance my professional responsibilities and family life.

My work involved long hours of standing during the day, prolonged hours on the laptop in the evening, and lots of running around and rocking my kids to sleep in between. Despite my knowledge and expertise in pain relief, I still found myself unable to escape the constant daily pain and fatigue.

Sitting at a desk job from 9 to 5, or longer, plus endless meetings that seem to go on forever. The frequent traveling, the uncomfortable hotel pillows that make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep—I’ve experienced it all. I remember not being able to share my discomfort at work because I felt like an imposter, talking about pain relief strategies and focusing on work while I was not able to achieve it myself. I didn’t disclose the extent of my pain and forgetfulness to my colleagues for years. Even though I loved my kids and my job, I couldn’t give 100% to either. The discomfort held me back from reaching my full potential, making me feel guilty as a mum and less productive at work. I felt like I was constantly running on empty, unable to catch a break from the pain and exhaustion.

finally got fed up after years of trying and decided to make a New Year’s resolution to get ‘healthy’ instead of focusing solely on my pain, fatigue, forgetfulness, and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to getting healthier by reducing the inflammation in my body and addressing my adrenal fatigue, the pain started to decrease, my energy levels and focus improved, and the pounds started shedding off too! That, of course, meant a happier spine, nerves, joints, and a happier me! Today, my neck, back, and nerve pain are down to zero, my knee pain has reduced by 75%, my brain fog has reduced drastically and my energy levels are higher than ever. I realized that I had been focusing on the wrong solutions for over a decade!

Now, my mission is to share my knowledge of pain relief and managing adrenal fatigue along with my personal experience with other mums, especially those with younger kids who work in high-stress executive jobs. My goal is to help you find lasting relief, boost your energy, and reclaim your life, just as I did. 

If you can relate to all this, you are not alone. As a mum, I have been there and done that—momma, I got you! I’ve helped hundreds of mums in this situation over the years find their solution to manage spinal and joint pains, low energy levels, and brain fog that hold them back. This enables them to feel confidently in control and empowers them to cultivate that confidence and productivity at work and enjoy being with their kids, to be able to run around with them without the fear of injury or pain.

Are you ready for this journey? Ask me how if you are curious.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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