Thermotherapy is a part of Physical Therapy and describes the use of heat or cold in different forms and applications. It is often prescribed in addition to Physical Therapy or massage and can be used before, during or after treatment.
Heat Therapy is a passive therapeutic measure and is an excellent preparation for physical therapist treatment or massage.
There are several common forms of Heat Therapy. The best known is the Fango– natural bog, rich in minerals and effective against rheumatic diseases, among others. Another form is Infrared Treatment, in which the tissue temperature is increased by warming infrared radiation to promote blood circulation.
Hot Air – punctual or area-wide red light irradiation – is also used in the field of Heat Therapy, as well as the so-called Hot Roll, where towels soaked with hot water are rolled over the skin to stimulate blood circulation and relieve pain.
Using heat selectively can have a very positive effect on pain zones and complaints – for example in the locomotor system, especially the muscles in the neck and back.
Another way of using heat in a targeted manner is the therapy via reflex zones distributed throughout our body – so-called Head’s Zones (named after Henry Head). There is a nervous connection between them and certain internal organs. If one of these organs has a disease, pain occurs in the corresponding skin area.
These zones are considered in the context of a holistic diagnosis, but also, for example, in the area of connective tissue massage – a special type of massage based on the treatment of the head zones to influence the internal organs).
Important effects of Heat Therapy are muscle relaxation, pain relief and blood circulation stimulation. In addition, it can be used specifically in the area of the thoracic spine, for example, in order to have a vegetative damping effect there during stressful situations.
The background to this mechanism of action is the sympathetic border strand located in the thoracic spine as part of the autonomic nervous system. This is also called the autonomic nervous system, visceral nervous system or involuntary nervous system.
An essential task of the autonomic nervous system is the maintenance of vital organ functions. These include circulation (pulse, blood pressure), respiration and our metabolism. Many other organ functions are controlled by the autonomous organ system, including the production and release of important hormones.
We cannot deliberately control or influence all these bodily functions.
Two parts of the autonomic nervous system are distinguished:
Stress has effects on the autonomic nervous system; in stress phases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system predominates, in rest phases and during sleep the parasympathetic part. An acute or even longer lasting stress situation leads to a dominating activity of the sympathetic nervous system, to increased heartbeat, as well as increased blood pressure and increased breathing.
Targeted warming stimuli in the area of the thoracic spine can help to dampen sympathetic nervous system activity, influence the system in favour of the parasympathetic nervous system and contribute to stress reduction.
Our connective tissue is also supplied by the vegetative nervous system. Increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system is thus often accompanied by an increase in fascial tension. In relaxed phases the tension of the connective tissue decreases noticeably.
Cold Therapy is the treatment with targeted cold stimuli or local cold application.
Ice (often in the form of “Hot Ice” or cold sprays) is mainly used in the acute stage or for first aid (PECH rule, scheme for first aid: P=Pause, E=Ice, C=Compression, H=Lifting). Examples are the initial treatment of muscle fibre tears, muscle tears, bruises or bone fractures.
The currently best proven effect of ice treatments is pain relief.
In modern Fascial Therapy, targeted ice applications can also be found, e.g. after the treatment of a trigger band.
Thermotherapy treatments, especially the use of heat, are an effective and beneficial complement to other areas of Physical Therapy. At the PTA Center we are happy to use this method to pass on the important effects of Heat Therapy to you. Feel free to contact us at any time, for example, if you are prescribed heat treatments by your doctor.
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