Heat therapy (WP)

What is heat therapy?

Heat therapy belongs to the field of physical therapy. It aims to alleviate physical and, in some cases, psychological complaints. Heat applications can be used locally on certain parts of the body or on the whole body. The choice of treatment method depends on the individual complaints. Heat therapy usually supports other forms of physiotherapy, such as physiotherapy or massage.

How does heat therapy work?

Heat causes the vessels to dilate. This stimulates blood circulation. As a result, waste products from the metabolism are transported away more quickly, but also messenger substances of the defense system are passed through the body more quickly. The nerve pathways are relieved, which leads to pain relief. The relaxation of muscle and connective tissue also contributes to this, joint fluid flows better under the influence of heat.

What is done during heat therapy?

During heat therapy, either the whole body or individual parts of the body are heated, depending on the ailment. Various sources of heat are available. The most commonly used are:

• heat packs made of mud or fango
• hot roll made of funnel-shaped rolled towels soaked with hot water
• hot air radiator
• infrared light
• ultrasound

When to use heat therapy?

Heat therapy is used wherever pain relief and relaxation are desired, for example in:

• muscle tension
• spasmodically increased muscle tension in incomplete paralysis such as after a stroke
• wear and tear and its sequelae, for example arthrosis
• abdominal pain due to irritable bowel syndrome

Depending on the situation, heat treatment must be considered for problems such as:

• Herniated disc
• chronic, but not acute joint inflammation such as rheumatism
• chronic but not acute gout

In acute cases, irritation of nerves, swelling and inflammation, however, cold treatment is the method of choice.

The use of heat treatment should be avoided in cases of high fever, open skin lesions, cardiac insufficiency, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, cancer, bleeding tendency, smoker’s leg, thrombosis, varicose veins, disorders of heat perception or hypersensitivity to heat, as well as in old age.