A Quick Introduction To Hot/Cold Therapy
The effects of temperature on the human body, and its beneficial
properties,
have long been known and harnessed. But it's perhaps only in
more recent
years that the general public has become aware of hot/cold therapy
and the
products that facilitate such treatment. Heat for instance, increases
blood
flow and tissue activity, helping the muscles to more easily stretch
and
relax while at the same time decreasing the sensation of pain. Cold
on the
other hand, slows circulation and thus helps to stop swelling in
the area of
application. Don't be afraid of cold
feet is the slogan here. Swelling is the by-product of blood
that pools in the injured
area because of the damage done to the cell and tissue there. Cold
therapy
too, has the benefit of reducing or alleviating pain temporarily.
If nothing else caught your attention, we're sure the pain relieving
properties of this therapy did. And nowadays, Hot/Cold Therapies
can be
employed through the use of various products whose complexity ranges
from
simple microwaveable/freezer packs to portable cooling systems.
All of which
are readily available to the public.
In the case of both hot and cold therapy, the relevant therapy
should not be
applied to the area of injury for longer than twenty minutes at
a time (ten
for smaller areas). Doing so any longer would risk doing further
damage to
the tissue and cells. A break of two hours should be taken between
applications. The RICE rule is a simple, easy to remember, yet oft-used
methodology applied when treating foot and ankle injuries.
As a final reminder, cold therapy should not be applied directly
to the skin
in order to avoid ice burns; a towel should be used to wrap the
ice in.
Also, a history of bad circulation may prevent you from applying
an ice pack
to the area. As always, when in doubt it is always a good idea to
consult a
qualified professional medical practitioner.
- R - Rest. What this means is to simply stay off the injured
area, in this
case the ankle or foot affected. Immediately stop exercising or
whatever you
were doing prior to the injury.
- I - Ice. The application of ice limits swelling, reduces pain
and increases
patient comfort. As mentioned above, this should not be applied
directly for
longer than 20 minutes.
- C - Compression. The area should be bound tightly with a bandage,
ankle
support, brace or similar wrap. Like the ice, this helps limit
the swelling.
It also prevents the patient from walking normally, thus keeping
the
pressure on the foot and ankle to a minimum.
- E - Elevation. The benefits of raising the injured area are
multifarious.
This helps drain fluid, improve blood flow and of course keep
pressure off
the affected limb.
And thus, you're now fully equipped (okay, maybe not, but at least
you're
learning, right?) to effectively administer home treatment should
it be
needed. If all this has got you interested in hot
and cold therapy
treatment, then you'd do well to browse the stack of room temperature
links
we've put together just to the right of this page.
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