STRESS RELIEF WITH HEAT THERAPY

Heat therapy, also known as thermotherapy, works by applying heat to an affected area to treat damaged muscles, joints or tissues in the body. Its primary use is to help relieve persistent pains associated with muscle stiffness, sensitivity and cramping. 

Thermotherapy consists of application of heat or cold (cryotherapy) for the purpose of changing the cutaneous, intra-articular and core temperature of soft tissue with the intention of improving the symptoms of certain conditions. 

The goal of thermotherapy is to alter tissue temperature in a targeted region over time for the purpose of inducing a desired biological response. 

The majority of thermotherapies are designed to deliver the thermal therapy to a target tissue volume with minimal impact on intervening or surrounding tissues. 

Heat can be ‎applied to the affected area of the patient in two distinct ways ‎:

• Moist Heat: In this type, the sources containing heat are moist heating packs, hot baths, ‎and steamed towels. Application of moist heat for the treatment is very effective as it ‎takes relatively lesser time in providing relief in comparison to dry heat therapy.‎
• Dry Heat: Therapeutic treatment through dry heat is inclusive of sources like heating pads, ‎infrared lamps, sauna, and dry heating packs.‎ Heat therapy can be applied to either specific affected region or entire body depending upon the ‎need of the treatment. Treatment through the heat for the entire body includes saunas or hot ‎water baths. This type of heat therapy is mostly required for athletes after the completion of their ‎sports performance. 

By increasing the temperature of the skin/soft tissue, the blood flow increases by vasodilatation. The metabolic rate and the tissue extensibility will also increase. Heat increases oxygen uptake and accelerates tissue healing, it also increases the activity of destructive enzymes, such as collagenase, and increases the catabolic rate.

Incorporating thermotherapy into your health and wellness routine can lead to improved cardiovascular health, stress reduction, pain relief, mood enhancement and a stronger immune response. The treatment through heat therapy can be done in the following ways:‎ 

• Hot water bath or sauna or steam bath
• Hot water bottle
• Electrical heating pad
• Heated gel packs
• Heat wraps
• Infrared radiation 

Nature's original pain reliever, heat therapy, is a great alternative to other recovery practices. It's cost-effective, simple to use and provides relief quickly. From soaking in hot baths to using heating pads, there are a number of options for soothing your discomfort. A great way to help relieve your tension and stress is to take advantage of the comforting and soothing heat from a therapeutic heating pad. 

Exposure to cold or heat in short bursts can provide stress relieving benefits, research suggests. Micro dosing the body with physical stress could have mental and physical benefits, research suggests. Hormetic stressors, like hot saunas and ice baths, can help aid recovery, according to lead researcher Elissa Epel. 

The study registered with the Clinical Research Information Service Registry, trial registration number [12616000803493], states that "Heating therapy during cystoscopy is a convenient and effective nursing intervention that decreases pain and anxiety and enhances patient satisfaction". 

It also states that “Heating therapy reduced both subjective and objective pain and anxiety in the experimental group compared to the control group. Heating therapy also decreased the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate in the experimental group compared to the control group. Women reported significantly greater satisfaction than men.” 

Exercise in warm water, usually called hydrotherapy, aqua-therapy or balneotherapy, is a popular and effective treatment with a pain relief effect for many patients with painful neurologic or musculoskeletal conditions. The warmth of water may block nociception by acting on thermal receptors and mechanoreceptors, thus influencing spinal segmental mechanisms. 

It gives positive effects on cutaneous barrier homeostasis and a anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, the warmth may enhance blood flow and muscle relaxation. Evidence surrounding the use of thermotherapy is mostly limited to the reduction of pain in conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, primary dysmenorrhea and low back pain.

However, the use of those modalities can facilitate the efficacy of other treatments such as therapeutic exercises by reducing nociceptive signals and reducing joint stiffness (improved range of motion). 

CAUTION

It is the duty of the doctor to decide whether a specific patient is eligible for the treatment ‎through heat therapy or not. A patient suffering from pain due to any external injury is not ‎eligible for treatment using heat therapy. 

If the patient is suffering from the pain due to swelling ‎and bruises then he/she is not eligible for treatment using heat therapy. In such a scenario a cold ‎therapy would suit the patient much better. A doctor also takes into consideration the medical ‎history of the patient. A doctor does not recommend treatment through heat therapy if the ‎patient is suffering from any of the following pre-existing medical condition: Dermatitis, Multiple sclerosis, Deep vein thrombosis, Vascular diseases or Diabetes.

There are contraindications surrounding the use of thermotherapy, as well as precautions to be taken with different clienteles such as children and older people (due to depleted temperature control capacities), and individuals with deprived sensations.    

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