Thermotherapy Flashcards by Rebecca Warnecke

What forms of heat therapy involve direct contact?

1 hydrocollator packs

2 paraffin bath

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What forms of heat therapy involve convection?

1 whirlpool

2 fluidotherapy

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What form of heat therapy would involve radiation?

Infrared lamps (transfer of heat from warmer surface to cool though air/vacuum)

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How is heat therapy done through conversion?

Heat is generated through another energy form

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What forms of heat therapy involve conversion?

1 ultrasound

2 diathermy

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What two things makes deep heating difficult?

Subcutaneous fat and skin pain

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How does thermotherapy relieve pain?

Counterirritation (pain gating) similar to cryotherapy

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How does thermotherapy increase joint mobility?

Decreases joint viscosity and viscoelasticity of muscles, tendons, and ligaments

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How psychological effect is possible through heat therapy?

Calming/sedating effect

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How does heat therapy reduce muscle spasms?

Decreased gamma motor neuron activity

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What effect does heat therapy have on tissue healing?

Enhances it via vasodilation and increased cell metabolism

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According to the literature, thermotherapy has been seen to possible be better than what common pain treatment at creating an analgesic effect?

Ibuprofen

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What kind of thermotherapy has been shown to be effective for low back pain? For reducing myofascial pain?

Low back pain = long duration low level heat

Myofascial pain = shorter duration moist heat

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Various studies have shown what structural change to muscle through thermotherapy?

Increased muscle length

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What are the indications for thermotherapy?

1 pain
2 muscle spasm
3 osteoarthritis
4 rheumatoid arthritis

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What are the contraindications for heat therapy?

1 areas of impaired heat sensation
2 malignancy
3 thrombophlebitis
4 hemorrhage
5 abdomen, pelvis, low back in pregnancy
6 acute inflammatory conditions
7 confused/unreliable patients

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What are the precautions for heat therapy?

1 impaired circulation
2 over wounds
3 severe cardiac insufficiency
4  over superficial metal implants
5 may cause decreased motor skill and reaction time
6 can increase fever

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What is the temperature range for hydrocollators?

158-169 degrees F

70-76 degrees C

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What is the substance contained in the canvas pouches of heat packs?

Silicate gel

How many layers of towels are necessary to cover a hydrocollator?

6-8 layers of towels

How many layers is a Terry cover?

What is the treatment time for a hydrocollator pack?

20 minutes

What is the appropriate temperature for a warm whirlpool?

86-100 degrees F

30-38 degrees C

What is the relationship between thickness of body part and temperature of warm whirlpool?

As body part thickness increases, temperature decreases

What is the treatment time for a warm whirlpool?

10-45 minutes

During what trimester of pregnancy is a warm whirlpool not recommended?

1st (also with MS, fever, or incontinence)

What is the name of the plastic or stainless steel bath that fits over a conventional toilet bowl and is used for stalking the perianal/anal area for pain and itching?

Sitz bath

What is the temperature range for a Sitz bath?

72-100 degrees F | 22-38 degrees C

What is the recommended Paraffin to mineral oil mixture ratio?

6:1

What is the temperature range for a Paraffin bath?

124-129 degrees F | 51-54 degrees C

How many times should the hand be dipped in a Paraffin bath (both immersion and dipping)?

6-10 times (then placed in plastic bag with towel over)

What is the treatment time for all Paraffin bath techniques?

30 minutes

What are the three techniques for a Paraffin bath?

Immersion, Brushing, and Dipping

How many layers are necessary for the Paraffin-Brushing technique?

7-10

What is the treatment time for fluidotherapy?

30 minutes

What is the benefit for fluidotherapy?

Can do active exercise within machine

What is the treatment time for infrared lamp therapy?

15-20 minutes

What law represents how the intensity caries with the inverse square of the distance between the bulb of infrared lamp therapy and the skin?

Inverse square law

According to the inverse square law, how much more heat will be present with half the perpendicular distance of treatment?

Which law represents the intensity of heat decreasing with change from the perpendicular level?

The Cosine Law

If the cosine of 30 degrees is 86, then what is the intensity of heat at 30 degrees from the original perpendicular plane?

86% of original intensity

A contrast bath is used during which phase of healing?

Subacute

What type of treatment enables a transition between cold modalities to warm ones?

Contrast bath

When doing a contrast bath, for how long should each modality last when alternating? The overall treatment time?

1-4 minutes alternating (overall = 20-30 minutes)

Topical counterirritants like BioFreeze are thought to work by inhibiting pain via what types of fibers?

A-delta and c-afferent fibers

What substances are contained in topical counterirritants like Ben Gay and BioFreeze?

1 menthol from peppermint oil 2 methyl salicylate from wintergreen oil 3 camphor 4 capsaicin from hot peppers

Can topical counterirritants reach deep tissues to cause temperature changes?

NO proof