Homemade Gel Ice Packs & Moist Heat Packs

Posted by Jennifer Carles on Sunday, January 7th, 2018 at 3:20 PM
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If you have an athlete in your house or suffer from back pain, here are a couple of recipes for some DIY relief.  I have actually tried both of these this past weekend and they work great- plus, this could save you around $10-$20 and a trip to to the drugstore!

It’s easy to make a hot or cold pack with materials you already have at home. Also, as a rule of thumb, cold packs help reduce inflammation and numb a painful area while heat packs help increase circulation to a specific area of the body and can promote healing.

Reusable Homemade Gel Ice Packs

What you need:

    • 1 quart or 1 gallon plastic freezer bags (depending on how large you want the cold pack)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup rubbing alcohol

 

Instructions:
Fill the plastic freezer bag with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and 2 cups of water.

~Try to get as much air out of the freezer bag before sealing it shut.

~Place the bag and its contents inside a second freezer bag to contain any leakage.

~Leave the bag in the freezer for at least an hour.

~When it’s ready, place a towel between the gel pack and bare skin to avoid burning the skin.

 

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Reusable Homemade Moist Heat Packs

 

What you need:

  • Cloth container (like an old sock)
  • 4-6 cups filling (uncooked rice or oatmeal)
  • Needle and thread (optional, but recommended)

 

Instructions:
~Fill your container with the filling.

~Tie or sew the container shut.

~Microwave container for 1-3 minutes. (check every 1 minute interval)

So whether you are using cold or heat therapy, apply for no more than 15 minutes at a time and the best way is to alternate 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for up to 2 hours. Keep these recipes handy and you’ll always be prepared for an injury or unexpected flair-up!

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