Hot/Cold Therapy

In office, we have access to a number of therapies to help your spine heal. Depending on your condition, one or more of the following may be recommended:

Cryotherapy (Cold Therapy)

Purpose: Cold therapy stimulates vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels to slow down blood circulation in an area.

  • Cold therapy reduces pain and swelling after an injury.
  • It is the preferred therapy for spinal pain within the first 72 hours.
  • Cold decreases the flow of fluid into tissues and slows the chemicals that inflame and cause pain.
  • Cold reduces swelling and bleeding and nerve ending conduction of pain impulses.
  • Deep tissue cooling with ice diminishes muscle spasm by lessening muscle contraction.

Note: If you have circulation problems, can’t feel cold or are allergic to cold, ice may not be the preferred therapy for you and may not be used.

Application: A towel is always placed between you and the cold pack. Since inflammation and pain often accompany acute injury in the first 72 hours after an injury, ice only may be applied. Ice reduces inflammation and numbs the pain in short spurts like 10 minutes at a time.

cold therapy image

Thermotherapy (Heat Therapy)

Purpose: Heat therapy stimulates vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels to bring more blood to an area.

  • Heat is generally sedating due to its ability to reduce the transmission of pain signals and calm tense muscles.
  • Heat opens blood vessels around a painful area, increasing oxygen and nutrient flow to the muscles which helps heal damaged tissue.
  • Heat also lowers stiffness and increases flexibility which is most important in a healthy back to help you regain your quality of life.

Application: In office, hot packs may be applied to your spine with a towel around them for 10 to 30 minutes.

heat in office

Cryotherapy/Thermotherapy Combined (Hot/Cold/Hot Therapy)

Purpose: Combining cryotherapy and thermotherapy is often preferred. This allows stimulation of blood flow by bringing blood into an inflamed and painful area with heat and driving out the blood with an ice pack application.

Application: For most patients coming to our office, a 10 minute hot/10 minute cold/10 minute hot routine is used. This routine is known as the Hunting’s Effect whereby too long an ice session reflexively pushes the blood back into the inflamed area causing more pain. Hunting’s Effect is useful to the body when you may find yourself in danger of severe cold, but not when trying to regulate pain and inflammation. Heat eases muscles and joints and cold drives out inflammation. A balance of the two is best.

heat therapy ice therapy in office heat therapy in office
hot cold hot & so on.

Cryotherapy/Thermotherapy/Electrotherapy Combined

Purpose: Often this hot/cold/hot therapy is applied along with electrical stimulation which is doubly-effective for your pain alleviation. This generates stimulation of blood flow by bringing blood into a swollen and painful area with heat and driving out the blood with ice pack application and nerve pain sedation with electrotherapy.

Application: Generally each modality with cryotherapy or thermotherapy is 10 minutes each but may vary depending on your condition.

heat therapy with electrical stimulation electrical stimulation combined with ice heat therapy with electrical stimulation

Talk with Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center about the sedating and healing properties of hot/cold therapy for you.

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