Turning up the heat to get you back on your feet!
In this article I will discuss:
• What is thermotherapy?
• How can thermotherapy help you?
• When and how to use thermotherapy?
Most people with muscular aches and pains often reach for a hot water bottle or various heat creams in an aid to eases the pain. Sometimes this is very effective but other times it can be detrimental. Read on to find out more about the use of heat.
What is thermotherapy?
Thermotherapy is the application of heat to the body to provide therapeutic benefit and its use dates back thousands of years to Greek and Roman times.
Thermotherapy comes in many forms including, hot water bottles, hot gel packs, ice massage, hot baths, saunas, heat gels and so on. The best and most readily available are heat packs, baths and heat gels and this is where the article will focus.
Thermotherapy, in particular the use of a heat pack, is a cheap natural way to help you reduce your pain.
How can thermotherapy help you?
Thermotherapy works in a similar way to cryotherapy (ice) to reduce pain. This is detailed below and also in the cryotherapy article.
The heat alters signals sent from nerve fibres in the muscle and skin to the brain. Imagine that the area of your brain which receives pain signals from the muscle and skin is a cinema with 100 seats. Signals from the tissue are all racing to get to the cinema first to get a seat. Obviously the more heat signals or pain signals there are the more likely they are to get a seat (like having more lines on the lottery). In a case of painful tissue, there may be 80 pain signals and 20 normal signals so you are much more likely to feel pain. When heat is applied the normal signals are bolstered by ‘heat’ signals meaning you may have 80 normal and heat signals and 20 pain signals, producing short term pain relief. After a few applications of heat your body adjusts to these signals, producing long term pain relief.
By reducing the level of pain you will also reduce the spasm found in the muscle as this is a defence mechanism in response to pain. This allows muscles to relax.
There are two main differences between heat and ice. Heat increases the amount of blood flow and circulation within the tissue which promotes a faster rate of healing. Whilst this is useful in long term pain, in sudden onset injury this is not recommended as the heat will increase the swelling and inflammation around the tissue.
The second difference involves the ability to help tissues stretch. Muscles, ligaments and tendons contain and substance known as collagen. Collagen acts much like the elastic in an elastic band. It allows tissue to stretch without becoming damaged.
By applying heat you can increases the stretch in the collagen fibres is why you feel less stiff when you are warm!
When to use heat?
Most people base their decision about whether to use heat or ice on their own personal preference for either one.
If your condition has been going on for a long time and is a lower dull ache with stiffness and tightness then heat maybe your best option.
Neither application has any major side effects so if in doubt, trying both maybe useful.
Despite the lack of major side effects we recommend you don’t use heat if:
• The patient is very elderly.
• The problem area has visible swelling.
• Broken skin or infection in the area.
• Inflamed joints or joint inflammation processes such as Rheumatoid arthritis or Gout are present.
How to use thermotherapy?
Firstly it is essential that you protect your skin. Always place a protective layer between the heat source and your skin to avoid burns or inflaming the area!
Always check the temperature of the heat before application to ensure it is not too hot.
As a general rule optimal benefit from thermotherapy is achieved after 20-30 minutes. Beyond this time the increase in blood flow to the tissue and increased stretch of the collagen begins to plateau, meaning little additional benefit is gained from prolonged use.
Simply stick to 20-30 minutes every couple of hours or when possible. It may be particularly useful to apply this heat when you feel most stiff e.g. mornings or evenings.