Heat And Cold Therapy For Pain Management
By the time you are an adult, chances are you’ve experienced physical pain on several occasions. Whether it’s due to conditions that cause painful side effects, like arthritis or fibromyalgia, or it’s a result of an injury or accident, pain is a common sensation for just about everyone. Pain can affect every aspect of your life, from reducing your overall quality of life to preventing you from doing what you love or even completing daily tasks.
At Roach Family Wellness, our chiropractor in Altamonte Springs, FL, believe nobody should have to live with pain. That’s why we offer a variety of comprehensive, natural pain management treatments, including hot and cold therapy. Hot and cold therapy is an effective, noninvasive, nonsurgical, drug-free treatment that provides sustainable, long-term pain relief. Contact us for more information and to schedule an appointment for treatment!
Cryotherapy
If you’ve ever rolled your ankle or injured your knee, it’s likely that you are familiar with applying an ice pack to the injured area of your body to reduce swelling and pain. But did you know that applying ice to your body is a form of cold therapy? Cold therapy, also commonly referred to as cryotherapy, stimulates the narrowing of blood vessels, which slows down circulation, resulting in reduced pain, bleeding, and swelling. Cooling deep body tissues with ice can lessen muscle spasms by reducing muscle contraction. As part of your Altamonte Springs chiropractic treatment plan, your provider may recommend cryotherapy for pain relief.
What Is Cryotherapy Used For?
Cryotherapy reduces inflammation and swelling, reducing the rate of tissue damage around joints and tendons. This form of pain therapy can reduce pain signals transmitted to the brain. Cold therapy in the form of cold compresses or ice packs is a common at-home use of cryotherapy for treating standard injuries. In-office cold therapy treats numerous different conditions that cause pain, including osteoarthritis, injuries, muscle strains, sprains, tendinitis, and gout. Cryotherapy can also reduce pain caused by migraines and headaches.
Types Of Cold Therapy
Cryotherapy can be used in many different ways to treat an area affected by pain in the body. Common treatment options for cold therapy include the following. Contact our practice today to learn more about our available cold therapy treatments!
- Cold packs. Applying cold packs or ice packs to an affected area for about 15 minutes every 4–5 hours or so can reduce inflammation, bleeding, and pain.
- Ice baths. Soaking the affected area in a cold (not freezing) bath slows the flow of blood and reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation.
- Cryotherapy chamber. Spending a short amount of time in a freezing or near-freezing chamber can reduce chronic inflammation and pain.
- Cryostretching. Cryostretching involves the application of cold to the affected area during stretching to reduce muscle spasms.
- Cryokinetics. This form of cold therapy combines active exercises with cold therapy to treat sprains and strains in the muscles and ligaments.
How Does Cryotherapy Work?
Our chiropractor can perform cold therapy treatments to help relieve your pain, reduce your inflammation, and help improve your quality of life. These treatments often occur in our chiropractic office, while additional care may be recommended for at-home use. Our chiropractor uses chiropractic adjustments and manipulations in conjunction with cold therapy for the purpose of calming irritation in structural components or the nervous system in order to reduce or eliminate pain and discomfort from the affected area of the body.
Benefits Of Cold Therapy
There is a wide range of cold therapy benefits patients struggling with chronic pain can enjoy following their sessions, including numerous benefits of cryotherapy for athletes and non-athletes alike. Contact Roach Family Wellness to find out how you can benefit from cold therapy from our chiropractor!
- Reduces swelling and pain
- Slows movement of fluids into tissues
- Reduces inflammation-causing chemicals
- Reduces bleeding
- Halts movement of pain signals from nerves
- Stops muscle spasms by reducing muscle contraction
Thermotherapy
Thermotherapy, also known as heat therapy, is a form of hot therapy that uses an increased temperature to help alleviate pain, strains, aches, and body discomfort. Heat therapy is often used in combination with chiropractic treatment to enhance and accelerate healing and recovery time. While warmth is commonly associated with comfort, heat therapy takes it a step further by providing pain relief as well as healing benefits for many types of pain and chronic conditions. For many patients, thermotherapy works optimally when it is paired with other chiropractic treatments, such as adjustments, physical therapy, and other exercises.
What Is Heat Therapy Used For?
Heat therapy works optimally when it is combined with other treatments, as recommended by our chiropractor for your unique needs. Relative to the majority of pain treatments available, heat therapy is highly appealing to many people who struggle with chronic pain because it is drug-free, noninvasive, and healing. Additionally, heat therapy for lower pain back, neck pain, hip pain, leg pain, and other types of pain produces real results that patients love. Find out more about heat therapy at our clinic! Contact our chiropractic practice today!
Types Of Heat Therapy
There are several types of heat therapy that can be used in many different ways to treat an area affected by pain in the body. Common treatment options for heat therapy include the following. Contact our practice today to learn more about our available heat therapy treatments!
- Dry heat therapy. Also called conducted heat therapy, dry heat treatments use heating pads, dry heating packs, and saunas to apply heat to the body.
- Moist heat therapy. Also known as convection heat, moist heat therapy uses sources such as steamed towels, moist heat packs, or hot baths or soaks.
How Does Heat Therapy Work?
Heat therapy dilates the blood vessels of muscles and tissues that surround the lumbar spine. Through the application of heat, the dilation of these blood vessels increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and surrounding tissues, which heals the damage. Heat also stimulates the sensory receptors in our skin. So, applying heat to the affected area of the body decreases pain signal transmission to the brain, relieving discomfort. By applying heat, it becomes easier to stretch the soft tissues around the spine, including adhesions, connective tissues, and muscles. Following heat therapy, patients enjoy decreased stiffness, increased injury healing, greater flexibility, and more comfort.
Benefits Of Heat Therapy
There is a wide range of heat therapy benefits patients struggling with chronic pain can enjoy following their session. Contact Roach Family Wellness to find out how you can benefit from cold therapy from our chiropractor!
- Accelerates recovery
- Speeds up healing
- Helps reduce arthritis pain
- Reduces rheumatic pain
- Treats chronic pain
Alternating Hot And Cold Therapy
Individually, heat and cold therapy offer numerous benefits for patients seeking a natural alternative to traditional medical pain treatments. Yet, for many individuals, the optimal solution to their chronic pain and discomfort requires a combination of thermotherapy and cryotherapy. For many patients, alternating between hot and cold treatment helps them best manage their pain. Alternating ice and heat therapy stimulates blood flow by bringing blood into inflamed and painful areas with heat and then driving out the blood with the application of cold stimuli. Contact us today to learn more and schedule an appointment for hot and cold therapy!
What Is Hot And Cold Therapy For?
Hot and cold therapy can be useful and effective in many applications, particularly those that involve chronic pain, inflammation, and discomfort, whether due to an injury, such as overuse and strains from exercise, or a chronic health condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. These treatments can improve the flexibility of tendons and ligaments, alleviate pain and discomfort, and reduce muscle spasms. It can also treat strains, sprains, bumps, bruises, and other damage to the musculoskeletal system. Contact us to find out how you can benefit from hot and cold therapy!
How Does Hot And Cold Therapy Work?
Hot cold therapy alternates between heat therapy and cold therapy. Cold therapy contracts the blood vessels and reduces circulation, which decreases pain, and heat therapy expands the veins, which increases circulation. The sudden shift in temperature encourages blood flow, which makes it useful for treating injuries and alleviating pain. In addition to blood vessels, the lymphatic vessels also expand and contract, increasing the delivery of lymphatic fluid to the area, which is integral for fighting infections and healing injuries.
What’s more, blending hot and cold therapy can sometimes prove more effective than either treatment performed individually, such as in the cases of swollen joints and arthritis. Hot and cold therapy also works well as an exercise treatment for patients who sustain injuries from overexertion during exercise or sport.
Hot And Cold Therapy Benefits
Heat and cold therapy can have significant, lasting, and meaningful benefits for chronic pain, all without any pharmacological pain treatments, surgery, or invasive procedures. If you’re looking for a natural solution to your chronic pain, we can help! Call Roach Family Wellness today!
- Heals chronic pain and discomfort
- Promotes a speedier recovery
- Restores range of motion and function
- Provides benefits of both heat and cold
- Stimulates blood circulation
- Reduces inflammation
- Loosens tight muscles and joints
- Effectively treats injuries from overexertion
- Requires no drugs or invasive procedures
- Offers a natural, holistic treatment approach
How Our Altamonte Springs Chiropractor Can Help
Roach Family Wellness offers hot and cold therapy designed for your unique needs, so you can find relief from your pain that lasts, requires no opioids, no surgery, and no significant downtime. If you suffer from chronic pain, musculoskeletal conditions, inflammatory diseases, or other issues, hot and cold therapy from our chiropractic in Altamonte Springs, FL, at Roach Family Wellness can help. Contact us today to schedule your appointment for treatment!
