Heat therapy
Heat can help relax and heal your muscles and soft tissues by increasing blood circulation. This can be especially helpful if a joint is stiff from osteoarthritis or from being immobilized, or to relax the muscles before exercise. However, heat can also increase swelling in an injured area if it is used too soon after the injury. Your Physio will recommend a suitable time, placement and duration for heat therapy. Heat Therapy is often used as part of our Physio treatment programmes to relieve pain.
Heat Therapy is especially good for:
- Rheumatic pain
- Sciatica
- Lumbago
- Sprains
- Muscle stiffness
The key aspects of heat therapy within an overall Physiotherapy treatment are:
- Heat can improve the flexibility of your tendons and ligaments
- Heat will reduce muscle spasms
- Heat may alleviate pain (heat may induce the release of endorphins, powerful opiate-like chemicals which block pain transmission.)
- Heat will elevate blood flow (heat tends to relax the walls of blood vessels)
- Heat will boost metabolism.
- Heat can help when stretching muscles and increasing overall flexibility.
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