Knee Pack

Knee pack is the heating compress applied to the knees, like the other packs.

Requisites: Materials as used in throat pack.
Duration: 1 hour
Uses: The knee compress is helpful in treating inflamed knees and is useful in arthritis to relieve pain and stiffness.

Hot and Cold Compress

In this treatment, hot and cold applications are made to stimulate the skin surface collaterally related to an internal part. This unique treatment is applicable only to the areas mentioned below under appropriate conditions: head, chest, spine, abdomen and pelvis. It helps in treating all types of muscular pains and spasms.

The duration of treatment by hot and cold compress may extend from 15 minutes to 45 minutes or until the desired effect is obtained. The application relieves congestion in the internal organs. This is one of the most powerful hydriatic measures.

Hot and Cold Head Compress

Requisites: Ice bag, 2 compresses – 1 ice cold, 1 hot.
Water temperature: ice cold water 0°C. and hot water 42–45°C.
Duration: 15–45 minutes
Procedure: Place the ice bag filled with ice cold water to the back of the neck and ice compress to the back of the head. Apply very hot compress to the face and ears. The hot compress should not extend below the jaw line in order to avoid heating of the blood vessels of the neck. The cold compress at the back of the head causes reflex contraction of the vessels of the brain and cools the brain. The fomentation draws the blood from the brain to the facial muscles. The same method may be applied inversely as follows:
A rubber bag filled with hot water and covered with a moist cloth is applied over the upper back part of the neck while the cold compress is applied to the face and the top of the head. The effect of this compress is to relieve the congestion of the brain.
Uses: In most of the headaches, especially those due to irritability of the cranial nerves (especially eye and ear nerves), this application forms a valuable treatment. It induces sleep and thus helps in curing insomnia.
Contra–indication: In headaches caused by anemia.