What Is Heat Therapy?
Using heat on sore areas of the body for a controlled amount of time is what heat therapy really is. Doctors sometimes use it to help patients that are stiff from an injury, and it has been a few days since the initial injury occurred. However, chiropractors use heat therapy on a regular basis. They learned the power that heat can hold when it comes to use on the body. It allows the sore area to get extra blood flowing through it. This provides extra oxygen which can reduce the overall pain in the area that hurts.
Typically, you can apply heat in one of a few different ways. You can opt for commercial hot packs, which provide moist heat. Then there is the option of a heating pad, which can provide dry heat. Plus, you can also use dry heat packs that are typically popped open and applied similar to an ice pack that is used once then thrown away. Occasionally you will find a chiropractor that prefers using hot water bottles. This is great if your skin is very sensitive or if you are not sure how much heat you can handle, as the temperature is easy to adjust. Your chiropractor is going to let you know which will work best, because it depends on what is wrong and what you are going to need to do to fix the problem.
When Is Heat Therapy the Best Option to Choose From?
When your injury is older, or when you have chronic pain, heat therapy is often the best option for relief. The goal of using heat is to help to relax the area. Once the area has relaxed, then you want the heat to increase the circulation around the injured area. The more relaxed the area is, the more likely it is to begin to heal. Trying to heal up an area that is knotted up is difficult, even in the healthiest body. By allowing that area to relax and unwind to some degree, more can be done to promote healing. The more blood you have flowing through this area, the quicker you are going to find relief from the pain. This is what will ultimately give you long-term pain relief and hopefully solve your pain issues when all is said and done.
How Can Heat Therapy Decrease Chronic Pain?
Heat therapy is great for people who suffer from chronic pain. When you apply heat to the body, it dilates all of the blood vessels in the area that the heat touches. This increases how much blood flows through that area. When the amount of blood flow picks up, so does the amount of oxygen that is flowing through the area. This increase in oxygen allows your body to heal more quickly from whatever it was that originally happened to it.
When you get heat therapy from a chiropractor, they may also use it as part of a larger course of treatment. Typically, heat therapy is used in conjunction with things like ice therapy and ultrasound therapy. The heat being used first can help to relax the area to be worked on next and give better results. Sometimes heat and cold work in succession to help get more healing done in a shorter period of time, too.
Turn to the Professionals When You Want Successful Heat Therapy Sessions
By having a professional chiropractor work on your pain, you can be sure to expect better results than you would be able to get on your own. Learn how heat therapy can help you heal, and ask how you can continue your treatments on your own at home. Don’t guess on what you should do or how long you should do it. Rely on the advice and training of someone with experience and the education to know what is best for your situation.
