We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

What Are the Benefits of Moist Heat Therapy?

By Sonal Panse
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

Moist heat therapy is a heat treatment that involves applying a moist heat to an affected area in order to bring about relief from the pains and aches caused by sports injury, tendon injury, muscle injury, muscle strain, sore muscles, and painful joints. It is also useful in treating conditions like arthritis, bursitis and migraine. Thermotherapy helps to increase circulation, and this in turn can bring about relaxation in muscles, joints and soft tissue, leading to pain relief and, in some cases, speedy healing.

This heat therapy makes use of a moist heating pad or a moist heat pack, which can be purchased in stores selling heat therapy products, as well as regular household items like towels, napkins and compresses. These items only need to be dipped in hot water and placed over the aching area. Taking a hot shower or soaking in a hot bath is also a form of moist heat therapy. In all cases, it is important to know and follow correct therapeutic guidelines.

For instance, whether a pad or a shower is used to provide the moist heat, the temperature should be comfortably warm, not boiling hot. This ensures that there is no risk of burning the skin. The heat application should preferably be restricted to a duration of about 15 minutes or 30 minutes at the most, not longer. If more heat treatment is required, it should be carried out in intervals, allowing the skin, tissues and muscles to cool down in between. If there is a persistent redness in the skin, the treatment should be withheld for a while.

Moist heat therapy does not draw moisture from the skin, so there are no issues of developing any dry skin problems from using it. It is not advisable to go for this treatment if there happen to be any existing skin problems like dermatitis. Since moist heat therapy tends to increase blood flow, it is also not to be used on open wounds, bruises and swollen muscles. In case of injuries, it is best to avoid any heat application for at least the first three days.

Moist heat therapy is also not recommended for people who have any serious heart-related or diabetic disorders. It should not be used in conjunction with oils or balms that are formulated to provide a warm relief. As with most types of health treatments, it is best to consult a qualified physician beforehand and make sure that this treatment will benefit rather than aggravate a particular health issue.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By Wisedly33 — On Feb 05, 2014

I have had lower back spasms since I was a teenager (cause unknown), and moist heat seems to give me the most relief. I've tried different things, but something about moist heat just makes those spasms unclench. It really makes me wish I had a hot tub. They do have their uses, and muscle therapy is one of the best ones, in my opinion. They're not just a luxury item -- they have an actual function! I don’t know why hot water works when nothing else will, but that’s sometimes the case. I guess that’s why hydrotherapy is so popular with athletes.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.