Thermotherapy
Thermotherapy is the aplication of heat to treat symptoms of acute or chronic pain, arthritis, muscle spasm, back pain, tendonitis, and other kinds of joint and muscle pain. Thermotherapy widens blood vessels and increases blood flow to the skin. It relaxes superficial muscles, decreases muscle spasms and reduces stiffness of joints.
There are several methods of delivering thermotherapy to the body. They include:
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Warm compresses and hot packs
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Heating pads
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Heat creams and ointments
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Paraffin dips and whirlpool baths
Moist heat is more effective in treating pain than dry heat because the moisture allows the heat to penetrate more deeply into the muscle. Thermotherapy is frequently used combination with other therapies, such as massage, to relieve pain.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is an excellent way to help with muscle spasms in the body. This therapy is well known to help numb painful areas as well as provide a cooling relief to affected soft tissues. The therapy consists of applying cold compresses on to the skin to effectively reduce the temperature of the skin as well as constrict the blood vessels in the area.
If you are suffering from a muscle spasm or just recently had a soft tissue injury, cryotherapy is an excellent way to help reduce swelling and further injury in the early stages of your healing process. This therapy is rather inexpensive and is something that can be done at home as well as in the office.
