Cold Therapy (Acute Stage, Sub-Acute Stage)
What does it do?
Cold therapy constricts blood vessel (makes them smaller) and slows down the blood flow to an injury, which reduces swelling and pain.
What are types of cold therapy?
Ice Pack, gel packs, or cold water from the tap
When do you use it?
Cold therapy is used best right after an injury, it can be used for bumps, sprains (over stretching a ligament i.e. your ankle), strains (over stretching a muscle i.e. lifting something too heavy)
Cold is also great for immediate treatment of minor burns, running cold water from the tap on your finger or hand for several minutes.
Safety Tips!
Hot Therapy (Sub-Acute Stage, Chronic Stage)
What does it do?
Hot therapy opens (dilates) blood vessels, which increases blood flow, decreases pain, and relaxes muscles.
What are types of hot therapy?
Electric heating pad, hot water bottle, gel packs heated in microwaves or hot water, or baths.
When do you use it?
Hot therapy is good for muscle stiffness and chronic or ongoing pain.
Safety Tips!
Contrast Therapy (Sub-Acute Stage)
What does It do?
Contrast therapy is a combination of Hot and Cold Therapy. It uses heat to open (dilate) the blood vessels, bringing in fresh blood and nutrients and then cold to close (constrict) the vessels, thus shunting the waste products away from the injury site.
Always start with Hot Therapy for 15-20 minutes and then use Cold Therapy for 3-5 minutes. This Process can be repeated 1-2 times back to back, always ending in cold.
When do you use it?
Contract therapy is best used in the Sub Acute Stage of an Injury.
Safety Tips!
· Be sure to follow all safety tips given in each Hot and Cold Therapy sections!
What does it do?
Cold therapy constricts blood vessel (makes them smaller) and slows down the blood flow to an injury, which reduces swelling and pain.
What are types of cold therapy?
Ice Pack, gel packs, or cold water from the tap
When do you use it?
Cold therapy is used best right after an injury, it can be used for bumps, sprains (over stretching a ligament i.e. your ankle), strains (over stretching a muscle i.e. lifting something too heavy)
Cold is also great for immediate treatment of minor burns, running cold water from the tap on your finger or hand for several minutes.
Safety Tips!
- Treatments should not last more than 15 minutes at a time.
- Wait 30-40 minutes between applications.
- During treatment, check skin every 5 minutes to make sure there is no damage such as a freeze burn (skin would become reddened or blistered just like being burned with heat. Yes that's right, cold can burn you too!
- Do no place cold directly on skin.
Hot Therapy (Sub-Acute Stage, Chronic Stage)
What does it do?
Hot therapy opens (dilates) blood vessels, which increases blood flow, decreases pain, and relaxes muscles.
What are types of hot therapy?
Electric heating pad, hot water bottle, gel packs heated in microwaves or hot water, or baths.
When do you use it?
Hot therapy is good for muscle stiffness and chronic or ongoing pain.
Safety Tips!
- Treatments should not last more than 30 minutes at a time.
- Wait 20-30 minutes between applications.
- During treatments check your skin to make sure it’s not too hot.
- Never lie on a hot pack to avoid falling asleep and burning yourself.
- Do not use heat is you have no feeling in the affected body part.
- Do not use heat if there is swelling/inflammation.
- Do not apply your heat source directly on the skin.
- Do not use heat if you have poor circulation.
- Do not use on open wounds or over stitches.
Contrast Therapy (Sub-Acute Stage)
What does It do?
Contrast therapy is a combination of Hot and Cold Therapy. It uses heat to open (dilate) the blood vessels, bringing in fresh blood and nutrients and then cold to close (constrict) the vessels, thus shunting the waste products away from the injury site.
Always start with Hot Therapy for 15-20 minutes and then use Cold Therapy for 3-5 minutes. This Process can be repeated 1-2 times back to back, always ending in cold.
When do you use it?
Contract therapy is best used in the Sub Acute Stage of an Injury.
Safety Tips!
· Be sure to follow all safety tips given in each Hot and Cold Therapy sections!
