Treatment (hot and cold therapy) Flashcards
Why would you use heat therapy
Heat therapy works by improving circulation and blood flow to a particular area due to the increased temperature which can soothe discomfort (pain) and increase muscle flexibility, muscle spasm reduced
Some effects of using heat
Increased blood flow- surface vessels dilate, extensibility of collagen increased, joint stiffness reduced, muscle spasm reduced, pain relief and healing encouraged,
Why might you use heat therapy
Extensibility of collagen e.g scar tissue, joint stiffness, ,uncle spasm, arthritis, pain relief, pain gate mechanism
What’s the pain gate mechanism
Tissue damage can occur which is detected by nociceptors which are a delta myelinated and c unmyelinated fibre, the a delta fibres transmit pain stimuli faster than c fibres, in response to stimuli nociceptors transduce this info into nerve impulses by releasing neurotransmitters which promote an inflammatory response and propagate pain signals to the spinal cord the action potential is carried along nociceptors and carried to dorsal horn of spinal cord, nociceptors synapse with cell bodies of the fibres of the spinothalamic tracts at varying levels of the dorsal column
Contraindications of heat therapy
Loss of thermal sensation, impaired circulation, risk of haemorrhage, radiotherapy
Methods of heat therapy
Paraffin wax baths, hot packs from hydro collator
Some effects of cold therapy
Vasoconstriction followed by cold induced vasodilation, increased blood viscosity which may reduce swelling, cold and pain sensation followed by numbness, inhibition of nerve conduction (thinly myelinated alpha fibres), hypertonicity reduced (muscle spindles)
Methods of cold therapy
Cold packs, ice massage, cyrocuff
Why use cold therapy
Decreases oedema, reduces swelling, minimises acute inflammation, reduces muscle spasm, reduces pain
Contraindications to cold therapy
Decreased cold sensation, peripheral vascular disease, vasospasm, raynauds
