Hot & Cold Therapy

Question 1

Hot vs cold therapy

Answer 1

Hot therapy

1. Relieve pain & congestion
2. Provide warm
3. Promote healing
4. Decrease muscle tone

Cold therapy
1. Reduce pain & body temp
2. Anaesthetize an area
3. Control growth of bacteria

Question 2

Dry heat therapy, pro vs con

Answer 2

1. Hot water bag
   Convenient, cheap
2. Electric heating pad
   Easy to apply, constant heat

Pro
1. Less easy to burn skin
2. Constant heat
3. Does not cause skin break by moist

Con
1. Dry heat cause body fluid lost
2. Cannot deep down to tissue
3. Increase dying of skin

Question 3

Moist heat therapy

Answer 3

Heat moist compress 濕敷
Promote circulation

Sit bath / hip bath
For haemorroid

Warm soaks
Into warm water

Pro
1. Heat moist compress conform well shape
2. Penetrate deep down to tissue
3. Does not cause fluid loss

Con:
1. Burn skin
2. Less constant heat
3. Cause maceration of skin easily

Question 4

Complication of cold therapy (2)

Answer 4

1. Tissue ischemia
2. Sign of frostbite

Question 5

Dry cold therapy

Answer 5

Ice bag
For muscle sprain, local haemorrhage
Prevent edema
To control bleeding

Ice pack

Hypothermia blanket
For acute stroke, cardiac arrest

Question 6

Cold moist

Answer 6

Cold moist compress
Burning, redness, numbness

Cold sponge bath

Question 7

0-4 hr cold

Then hot

Cold for acute
Hot for relax pain ( e.g. lower back), spasm

15-30min