Acute gout attack, joint redness, swelling and pain, should I choose cold compress or hot compress?

During an acute attack of gout, the joints are often red, swollen, hot and painful, which is difficult to relieve

Here I want to remind everyone that the inflammation caused by gout is different from general trauma and chronic inflammatory arthritis, and the local treatment of gouty arthritis cannot be generalized

Refuse hot compresses during acute gout attack

When gout attacks, some wind friends think of using a hot towel and herbal compress on the feet, but the more careful the more the more painful

At this time, the local skin temperature rises, blood vessels dilate, and hot compresses will aggravate the congestion and edema of the lesion, resulting in further aggravation of inflammation

Applying medicated oils and physical therapy that increases skin temperature and promotes local blood circulation are not recommended

Tip: In the acute phase of gout attack (especially within 48 hours), hot compresses are prohibited

Appropriate cold compresses during acute gout attacks

Some wind friends will say that since you can't apply hot compresses, you can use cold compresses to reduce skin temperature and relieve pain

Applying local cold compresses to acute gout attacks can effectively relieve pain and reduce joint swelling

It is recommended to control the duration of the cold compress to about 20 minutes.

Is there any other reliable way to alleviate it?

The easiest and safest treatment method is to rest in bed, minimize moving and elevating the affected limb, topical Voltaren ointment can be used to relieve local pain, or anti-inflammatory ointment can be applied

Oral drug principles: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the first choice, colchicine is the second choice, and glucocorticoids are optional

In the acute phase, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as celecoxib and etoricoxib, can be the first choice to reduce inflammation such as redness, swelling, heat and pain, but they should be used early, that is, within the first few hours (within 24 hours) of gout attack.

Some people who take NSAIDs may experience side effects such as gastrointestinal discomfort, so they should be taken with stomach-protecting drugs at the same time; if nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cannot be tolerated, colchicine can be used

For patients who cannot tolerate NSAIDs and colchicine, glucocorticoids can be used; for patients with renal insufficiency, glucocorticoids are preferred

Finally, I would like to remind you that the uric acid-lowering treatment for gout must be continued