What is the purpose of thermotherapy?
Thermotherapy is indicated for relief of a variety of painful conditions, including muscular and rheumatic pain, sciatica, fibrositis and lumbago. It can be used as a replacement or adjunct to pharmacological pain relief options. It can also be used to help healing of sports or similar injuries.
What are the physiological effects of thermotherapy?
Thermotherapy (heat) is used to decrease pain, promote relaxation, decrease muscle spasm, lower skin impedance, decrease the stiffness of joints, promote collagen extensibility, increase local tissue metabolism, promote vasodilatation, and accelerate healing.
What are some examples of thermotherapy?
Examples of thermotherapy include heat packs, heat wraps, hot water baths, infrared modalities, Class IV laser modalities, and topical creams.
Does heat cause vasodilation or vasoconstriction?
Blood vessels supplying blood to the skin can swell or dilate – vasodilation. This causes more heat to be carried by the blood to the skin, where it can be lost to the air. Blood vessels can shrink down again – vasoconstriction….Vasodilation and vasoconstriction.
| Too cold | Too hot | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat loss from skin | Decreases | Increases |
What is Fluidotherapy?
Fluidized therapy (Fluidotherapy) is a high-intensity heat modality consisting of a dry whirlpool of finely divided solid particles suspended in a heated air stream, the mixture having the properties of a liquid.
When should thermotherapy be used?
Thermotherapy involves the use of heat to relieve muscular pain or stiffness. Heat therapy not only reduces mild pain but is also very relaxing. Because heat can penetrate several centimeters beneath the skin, this form of therapy can speed up biochemical healing processes.
What are the two types of thermotherapy?
There are two types of thermotherapy: superficial and deep. Methods for providing superficial heat include moist hot packs, fluidotherapy, whirlpool, and paraffin (warm wax). Superficial heating agents elevate the skin temperature and tissue within 1 to 2 cm of the skin surface.
Is vasodilation a convection?
Convection is the transfer of heat by the movement of air or liquid moving past the body. One way of increasing heat loss is through peripheral vasodilation, the dilation of blood vessels in the skin.
What causes vasodilation?
Vasodilation occurs naturally in your body in response to triggers such as low oxygen levels, a decrease in available nutrients, and increases in temperature. It causes the widening of your blood vessels, which in turn increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.
How does Fluidotherapy work?
So what is Fluidotherapy? It is defined as: “A modality of dry heat that uses a suspended air stream with the properties of a liquid. It simultaneously performs the functions of applied heat, massage, sensory stimulation, levitation and pressure oscillations”.
What does Fluidotherapy help with?
Fluidotherapy is effective in reducing pain, edema, and muscle spasm from acute or subacute traumatic or non-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders of the extremities. It has proven to increase the range of motion and decrease pain and stiffness in injured or arthritic hands and wrists.
When should you not use thermotherapy?
When not to use hot therapy Thermotherapy should not be used on tissue that is injured or infected. Signs of injury are obvious, such as lesions or contusions. Signs of infection are subtler but include puffiness, redness, and hotness. Heat should also not be applied to a new injury.
What does vasodilation do to the blood vessels?
Vasodilation is the widening of blood vessels as a result of the relaxation of the blood vessel’s muscular walls. Vasodilation is a mechanism to enhance blood flow to areas of the body that are lacking oxygen and/or nutrients.
Why is vasodilation good for your sex life?
Not only does blood flow create that necessary stiffness, but it also nourishes the reproductive organs, improves energy and libido, and maintains regular testosterone levels. In this way, a healthy vasodilation system is advantageous for overall sexual health. A key chemical in your body’s natural process of vasodilation is nitric oxide (NO).
How is vasodilation the opposite of vasoconstriction?
The process is the opposite of vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels. When blood vessels dilate, the flow of blood is increased due to a decrease in vascular resistance. Therefore, dilation of arterial blood vessels (mainly the arterioles) decreases blood pressure.
What are the mediators of vasodilation during exercise?
Other mediators involved in vasodilation are generated during enhanced muscle activity. These stimuli include pCO, lactate, K, and adenosine. Venous pCO levels increase during exercise due to the high turnover of the Krebs cycle to meet the oxygen demands of skeletal muscle.