Reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance

A reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance for one of heating and cooling a treated area of the body of a patient, said reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance comprising:

• a) a sealed pouch comprising a strong flexible plastic material and containing a pliable heat absorbing material, the mass, dimensions, and specific heat capacity of said sealed pouch containing said pliable heat absorbing material being selected such that at standard temperature and pressure (STP) said sealed pouch containing said heat absorbing material will maintain a temperature (over the range from about 0.degree. Celsius to about 60.degree. Celsius) within at least about 10.degree. Celsius for a time of at least about 20 minutes;
• b) a sleeve for containing said sealed pouch, said sleeve comprising:
• i) a relatively heat-conductive patient-contact surface for placement over the treated area selected to facilitate the maintenance of a relatively constant temperature gradient across said patient-contact surface,
• ii) an outer adherent surface adjacent the patient-contact surface,
• iii) and an insulant disposed between said outer adherent surface and said sealed pouch (contained within said sleeve) in order to reduce heat transfer between said sealed pouch and said outer adherent surface;
• and,
• c) attachment means associated with said sleeve, said attachment means being co-operatively configured so as to releasably adhere to any location on said outer adherent surface, whereby the patient using said compress appliance may select a location of adherence so as to provide a comfortable and therapeutic compressive loading to the treated area.