cryotherapy & thermal agents - exam 1 Flashcards
what is conduction?
energy exchange by direct contact of stationary materials (tissues) at different temperatures
how is head conducted?
from the material at a higher temp to material at lower temp
– cold pack: heat transferred from patient’s skin to cold pack
– heat pack: heat transferred from hot pack to patient’s skin
what factors is rate of heat transfer dependent on?
area of contact
thermal conductivity
temperature difference
tissue thickness (decreases rate)
the greater the temp difference between two surfaces:
the faster the rate of heat transfer
what is a good use of materials to make sure you are creating a safe medium for heat transfer?
6-8 layers of towels between hot/cold pack and patient (trap air and have a low thermal conductivity to slow rate of heat transfer)
why should you remove metal from areas of contact?
metal has a high thermal conductivity
what is convection?
direct contact between circulating medium (not stationary) and another material of a different temp.
vector = moving
how would heat transfer occur more rapidly?
faster speed of movement between two materials (i.e. whirlpools vs immersion)
what is conversion?
converting a non-thermal form of energy into heat
does conversion require direct contact? if not, what does it require?
no
requires an intervening material to help transmit the certain type of energy (ultrasound gel or lotion)
regarding conversion, what does rate of transfer depend on?
the power of energy source not the temperature (US head does not need to be hot)
what form of energy is ultrasound?
mechanical form - can be “converted” to heat when sufficient intensity to a tissue absorbs the sound waves
what form of energy is diathermy?
electromagnetic form of energy - causes rotation of polar molecules, “converts” to heat when friction between the molecules increases tissue temp
what is specific heat?
amount of energy required to increase the temperature of a material by a “x” number of degrees (C)
tissues with high specific heat require ______ energy to heat and hold more energy compared to ______
more
materials with low specific heat
list the materials in order of heating up faster to heating up slower
air
bone
fat
average for human body
muscle
skin
water
what does a therapeutic use of cold do in rehab medicine?
control inflammation, pain and edema
reduce spasticity
control symptoms of MS
facilitate movement/ROM
what is abstraction?
removal of heat by means of conduction or evaporation
what ICF domain is cryotherapy categorized into?
basic structures and function
what are the hemodynamic effects of cryotherapy?
- vasoconstriction (10-15 minutes) which decreases blood flow
- most pronounced at area of direct skin contact
what is the cold induced vasodilation phenomenon?
following initial decrease in blood flow there is a later increase in blood flow, which cycles up and down
occurs when cold applied for > 15 minutes or when tissue temp reaches < 50 deg
** our goal is to vasoconstrict during the inflammatory healing phase