Heat Therapy

Heat is generally used for chronic injuries.

Chronic injuries are the injuries that have no inflammation or swelling giving rise to pain which is dull in nature.

Effects of heat therapy

• Increased metabolic activity.
• Increased blood supply
• Relief in pain.
• Muscle relaxation.
• Wound healing.

Contraindications of heat therapy

• Allergic rash
• Skin condition
• Impaired skin sensation
• Defective arterial blood supply

Notes:

• Apply heat to an injury for 15-20mins at a time.
• Moist heat is the best (hot wet towels)
• Never use heating pads for more than twenty minutes or while sleeping
• Heat therapy is advisable when one enters the sub acute phase i.e. after 72hrs

Cold Therapy

• Cold is the best immediate treatment for acute injuries.
• Acute injuries are the one that shows the sign of inflammation like swelling, raised temperature, increased local redness.
• Pain is severe and acute in nature.

Effects of cold therapy

• Reduces pain.
• Reduces swelling.
• Reduces muscle spasm.
• Reduces spasticity.
• Promotes repair.

Contra-indications to cold therapy

• Psychological.
• Cardiac conditions – for 6 months after myocardial infarction
• Vasopastic disease- Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Peripheral vascular disease.
• Cold insensitivity.

Notes:

• Apply ice to an injury for 10-15mins
• Can be repeated several times a day for 72hrs but allow the skin temperature to return to normal before icing second or third time.
• At times ice can be indicated for some overuse/cumulative/chronic injuries.
• Ice pack that conforms to the body areas is the best way of application.

REHABILITATION

Rehabilitation means to restore or re-establish an individual’s physical, mental, social, economical, vocational, function to the fullest of the individual’s capacity.

The root word habilitate is derived from the Latin term that might be rendered as‘to capacitate’ or ‘to be endowed with ability’.

Rehabilitation is necessary to

• prevent further deterioration.
• maintain the existing abilities.
• help the patient and family to make necessary adjustments.
• enable easier recovery from chronic injuries.

Factors affecting rehabilitation

• Internal
  • age
  • onset
  • prognosis
  • previous personality
  • intelligence for learning
  • degree of physical dependency
  • Interest and Attitude
• External
  • psychological
  • physical
  • social expectations
  • community resources

Rehabilitation can be

• home based
• community based
• institution based
• opd based