What is Heat Therapy

Featuring Mr. Matthew Powell, MCPA, FCAMT, CGIMS

Duration: 1 minute, 10 seconds

Heat is a useful adjuntct to many physiotherapy techniques that we'll use.

For example, if we are doing mobilization or we are looking for gentle sterech of repaired soft tissue. Heat can help by making connective tissue a little bit more elastic.

Heat can also bring in much needed blood flow with that oxygen and nutrients that will promote healing, and in addition the increase in blood flow can help remove cellular waste and toxins that are the product of inflammatory process.

In the home heat can be very useful with the hot shower, the hot bath, the hot tub, just to promote a general sense of relaxation and before general stretching routines. But one should definitely not get into the hot tub immediately after a soft tissue injury. It promotes more bleeding and problems in the injury later on.

After that 48-hour period is over consult with your local physiotherapist for assessment of the injury and to find out what would be the most suitable management going ahead.

Presenter: Mr. Matthew Powell, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Physiotherapist