Heat Therapy

Heat Thearapy, also called thermotherapy, is the application of heat to the body for pain relief and health. It can be beneficial to those with arthiritis, stiff muscles and injuries to the deep tissue of the skin. Heat may be an effective self-care treatment for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Heat therapy is most commonly used for rehabilitation purposes. The therapeutic effects of heat include increasing the extensibility of collagen tissues: decreasing joint stiffness; reducing pain; relieving muscle spasms; reducing inflammation; edema; and aids in the post acute phase of healing also increasing the blood flow. The increased blood flow to the affected area provides proteins, nutrients, and oxygen for better healing.

Chronic Injuries

Chronic injuris can be subtle and slow to develop. They sometimes come and go, and may cause dull pain or soreness. They are often a result of overuse, but sometimes they can be from an acute injury that wasn’t treated properly.

Heat is generally used for chronic injuries that have no inflammation or swelling. Sore, stiff, nagging muscle or joint pain is ideal for the use of heat therapy. Heat can also help to relax tight muscles or muscle spasms.

Acute Injuries

Accute injuries are sudden, sharp, traumatic injuries that occur immediatly (or within hours) and cause pain (possibly severe pain). Most often acute injuries result from some sort of impact or trauma such as a fall, sprain, or collision and it’s pretty obvious what caused the injury. If you have tenderness, redness, swelling or inflammation you have an acute injury.

Cold therapy is the best immediate treatment for acute injuries because it redues swelling and pain. Cold is a vasoconstrictor, causing blood cells to narrow, and it limits internal bleeding to the injury, ie Bruising. Simply put your “Heat in a Click” into the fridge or freezer to use as a cool pack and apply to the affected area for 10-15minutes at a time. Allow the skin to return back to it’s normal temperature before applying a second or third time.

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