Heat
has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of different
types of pain. Experience shows that it
has a beneficial effect on pain arising from inflammation, which is
the body’s defense mechanism in cases of
injury due either to accident or to overuse. Injuries caused by
trauma or overuse, such as ligament injuries
and muscle ruptures, are often treated during the acute stage by
cooling and bandaging so that the bleeding
in the injured area is limited. After the initial 48 hours, heat
treatment can be introduced to help the healing
process. Heat may be started once the risk of hemorrhage is over, and
aids healing by increasing the blood
flow to the injured area.
If
an injury is treated by heat applications in its acute stage the
blood vessels expand, and the blood clotting
procedure may be disrupted. The amount of fluid in the tissue
increases. This leads to increased bleeding
in the injured area, increased swelling and higher pressure in the
surrounding tissues. The result may
be more pain and slower healing than would otherwise be the case.
Perhaps
the most important effect of heat treatment is its influence on
collagen fibers. A tendon is composed of
90% collagen fibers and 10% elastic fibers. Collagen has viscous and
elastic properties, which means that
the more rapidly a tendon is loaded, the stiffer it becomes. Heat increases
elasticity and plasticity, so after its application the collagen
fibers become more flexible and more
capable of rehabilitation exercises. Heat also decreases joint
stiffness and relieves muscle spasm. This reduces
the risk of injury.
Heat
can be used in both the prevention and rehabilitation of overuse
injuries and to combat the aftereffects of
torn muscles and tendons. It can be valuable during warm-up before
training sessions and competitions
and in cold weather, increasing the mobility of joints.
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