These are some of the times you shouldn't use heat therapy: infections. burns. open wounds.
“For any acute injuries such as muscle sprains, strains, knee injuries, fractures or dislocations, heat therapy is not advised,” shares Dr. Rama. Similarly to cold therapy, heat therapy should also never be applied to open wounds and patients with circulatory problems should avoid, as well.
Heat therapy is not recommended immediately after physical activity, after injury, or during an infection. The heat will worsen pain and prolong healing if used when the tissues are damaged or infected.
Thermotherapy should be used with caution for patients with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis because it may increase disease progression. It should also be used with caution for patients with burns, skin ulceration and areas of inflamed skin.
Contraindications: patients with peripheral vascular disease, bleeding disorders, local malignancy, acute inflammation or trauma, edema, infection, open wounds, over large scars, patients with impaired sensation (neuropathy) or impaired ability to communicate/cognitive impairments (dementia or dysphasia).
People with sensory problems that prevent them from feeling certain sensations, especially diabetes, should not use cold therapy as this can result in nerve damage and lessened sensitivity. Cold therapy should not be used if you have stiff muscles or joints or if you have poor circulation.
It isn't hot enough to destroy the cancer cells outright. It's usually combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In one approach, called regional perfusion or isolation perfusion, the blood supply to a part of the body is isolated from the rest of the circulation.
“Heat actually has the opposite effect of ice,” Dr. Behr says. “It causes small blood vessels to open which can stimulate inflammation rather than relieve it.” Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues, and to stimulate blood flow to the area.
What is heat therapy? Heat therapy, also known as thermotherapy, works by applying heat to an affected area to treat damaged muscles, joints or tissues in the body. Its primary use is to help relieve persistent pains associated with muscle stiffness, sensitivity and cramping.
Infants and children younger than 4 and adults older than 65 are at higher risk of heat exhaustion. The body's ability to regulate its temperature isn't fully developed in children. In older adults, illness, medicines or other factors can affect the body's ability to control temperature.
Some chronic medical conditions may make you more prone to heat intolerance, including: Heart disease. Hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease. Mental illness.
Use caution with heat therapy and never apply heat to active swelling, open wounds, or bruises, as the heat can actually exacerbate your pain in those instances.
That's not to say putting heat on an injury is out of the question — however, never apply heat to a new injury that is still swelling. Heat will make the swelling and pain worse, which is not what you want. You also should not apply heat if your body is already hot — for example, if you're sweating.
Thermotherapy involves applying heat or cold to joints to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis and can be done with packs, towels, wax, etc. Heat may work by improving circulation and relaxing muscles, while cold may numb the pain, decrease swelling, constrict blood vessels and block nerve impulses to the joint.
Apply ice 10 to 15 minutes at a time, as often as twice an hour, for 3 days (72 hours). You can try heat, or alternating heat and ice, after the first 72 hours. Use pain relievers. Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce pain and inflammation.
Both heat and cold therapy may help ease symptoms of arthritis. Heat may help relieve aches and stiffness, while cold therapy may help ease swelling and pain. Applying heat or cold to affected parts of the body may help relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of arthritis.
“Heat can kill cancer cells. When it's given in combination with radiation and even chemotherapy, it's more effective,” says Dr. Alan Brown, radiation oncologist on Lee Memorial Health System's medical staff. Using a technique called hyperthermia, doctors are heating superficial tumors before delivering radiation.
Hyperthermia and cancer treatment
Hyperthermia, also known as thermal therapy or thermotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment wherein the body tissue is exposed to high temperatures. Studies have shown that heat can damage and kill cancer cells, with minimal injury to healthy and normal tissues.
Heat may be delivered using these methods: Applicators on the surface of the body focus energy on a cancer inside the body, such as cervical or bladder cancer. Some of the person's blood is removed, heated, and then returned back to the limb or organ. This is often done with chemotherapy drugs.
Heat dilates, or widens blood vessels, allowing more inflammation to flow to an injured or painful area. As a general rule of thumb, ice should be used if you have recently injured an area or had surgery or a procedure.
Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
Contraindications for the application of cold therapy may include the following conditions: 1. deep vein thrombosis 2. peripheral vascular disease 3. skin sensation impairment (diabetic residents) 4.