Thermal Therapy

Heat has long been used to soothe pain. More recently it has become more common in the home with tools such as paraffin baths, portable thermal wraps, hot and cold packs and ultrasound therapy.

Hot and Cold Packs

Hot and cold packs or alternating temperature therapies. Avoid temperatures that are extremely hot when you use thermal therapy. If you are using alternating hot and cold, also avoid temperatures that are extremely cold. Extremes in temperature can damage the skin because it takes less time to heat or cool external tissue than it does the internal tissue that has been injured.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax bath treatments are a popular way to not only take care of the skin, but also treat problems such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, or even basic soreness. There are some considerations regarding selecting your bath appliance and wax that you should know about for paraffin bath heat therapy.

Thermal Wrap

One specific type of thermal wrap is the VitalWrap System. It consists of three components: a control unit, a tubing set, and a thermal fabric wrap. The control unit, which includes a fluid reservoir, manages the temperature of water used by the system to supply heat or cold to the fabric wrap attached to the body. By pumping the water through a heat-exchanging bladder inside the wrap, the control unit warms or cools the water to match the proper temperature setting, delivering precise and safe thermal therapy.
Set-up is a simple, three-step process:

1.Fill the portable, leak-proof reservoir with ice and water.
2.Place the bladder portion of the wrap around the treatment area and secure it with the Velcro™ closure.
3.Attach the wrap to the control unit using the tubing set.

Once the control unit is turned on, the cooled or warmed fluid is passed through the tubing set to the wrap. As it circulates into the wrap from the control unit, the fluid either applies heat to warm the treatment area or draws it away for deep cooling. The fluid then flows back into the control unit, where it is re-cooled or re-warmed before cycling back into the wrap.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy is a form of physical therapy that uses high-frequency sound waves to transfer heat into specific injured areas of your body. Ultrasound therapy is used worldwide by physical therapists and occupational therapists to treat a variety of painful conditions such as tendonitis, arthritis, fibromyalgia and musculoskeletal injuries. Ultrasound therapy is known to help stimulate the healing process by increasing blood flow and decreasing pain and inflammation. However, as with all medical treatments, there are some risks to consider before using ultrasound therapy.