Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group My inflammation has always been hot to the touch.

I can stand the cold! I lock up and the pain kicks in so darn bad I can barely move at times. It's recently gotten cold out around here and earlier this week, my hands cramped up so bad I could barely move them. I won't even go near an ice pack! If I touch anything cold, even getting a can of soda out of the fridge and setting it down hurts like a son of a gun! me+cold=BAD NEWS DUDE!

Depends where the inflammation is for me. And whether I use frozen gel packs or a heating pad depends on the pain.

I do know that in the summer, I feel the heat much less than Brian does. In fact, I radiate it to the point that on really hot days (we don't have a/c except in the bedroom) I can't come closer than about 5" to him because he finds it so uncomfortable. Also, I find that 70F is just fine (80F is perfect!!), but 69F makes me freeze. He's sitting on the couch dying from heat and I'm huddled under a blanket. Freaky.

Also, when it comes to icing, the whackiest thing happens when I ice my knee and shins. As long as I'm icing the quad, or just below the knee it's OK. But if the gel pack comes near the kneecap for longer than about 10 minutes, I get horrible pain from the cold right down through my kneecap. Honestly, it lances through there and I have to warm it up to make the pain stop. I've never experienced that before this year.

I suppose it's aging.

Many hugs,

I use both heat and cold on my inflamation.
I use a bag of frozen peas (I have one bag, in a large freezer bag, specifically for this purpose) for about 20 minutes to take down any swelling, then I will use a hot water bottle for about 20 minutes to relax the muscle.
Works for me!

frozen peas! (or corn) work great! Warmest, Teresa