Heat Pads and Moist Heat Therapy

Use of heat

The use of heat produces three reactions in your body:

• Relaxation of tight muscles (spasm), 
• relief of pain and soreness, especially prior to exercising.
• Increasing local circulation to promote healing of inflamed tissue, i.e., muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and other soft tissue.

These desirable reactions take place due to reflex action in the first 20 to 30 minutes of heat application. Prolonged heat past this point may be harmful and produce the opposite reaction, i.e., tightening of muscle and decrease in circulation. Allow 1 hour or more between each heat or ice application.

Superficial Heat

Hot packs, warm moist towels, heating pads, water bottles and infrared lamps are often used to help raise the temperature of soft tissues directly below the surface of the skin.  This enlarges blood vessels below the surface, relaxing tissues and can temporarily relieve painful symptoms. Increasing circulation and relaxing muscles is helpful before or after chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and other treatments.

Heat is usually recommended for the relaxation of tissues in spasm and temporary relief of the symptoms associated with chronic pain and muscle tightness.  Using heat to calm tissues suffering from long term spasm or irritation is an easy way to increase flexibility, range of motion, and promote increased circulation to speed the healing process.

Heat therapy acts to:

• Increase the blood flow to the skin
• Dilate blood vessels, increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to local tissues
• Decrease joint stiffness by increasing muscle elasticity

Heat should be applied for 20 minutes. Patients can use hot packs, hot water bottles, hot and moist compresses, electric heating pads, or chemical and gel packs carefully wrapped to avoid burns. Patients can also submerge themselves or the painful part in warm water.

Heat therapy is not recommended on tissue that has received radiation treatment. Pregnant women should avoid using hot tubs or any method that subjects the developing baby to prolonged heat.

Deep heat delivered to underlying tissue by short wave diathermy, microwave diathermy or ultrasound is also sometimes used to relieve pain. Deep heat should be used with caution by patients with active cancer and should not be applied directly over a cancer site.

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Moist heat is usually more beneficial than dry heat. 

Moist heat increases circulation and speeds recovery by bringing in fresh blood cells and taking away the wastes which hinder healing. These beneficial results continue for several hours after treatment.

The application of moist heat, known as fomentation, is especially useful in the treating back pain caused by muscle spasms from strain and tension. Moist heat, and rest, will gradually relax the muscle spasm, restoring its normal length and relieving pain. The moisture transfers the high heat deeper into tissues than an ordinary dry heat pad. 

Arthritic and rheumatic pain is often temporarily relieved with the use of moist heat. The increased blood flow can relieve the inflamed joints and help maintain flexibility. Heat therapy can reduce pain, especially the pain of muscle tension or spasm.

We recommend one or any combination of the following forms of moist heat:

• Warm showers or tub baths.
• A damp, warm cloth placed against the skin with a covering of thin plastic material (cleaner bag, vegetable bag, etc.). Place an electric heating pad over this. Be sure that the electric heating pad is protected from the wet cloth.
• A damp, warm cloth under a hot water bottle.
• The purchase of Hydrocollator moist heat packs from any hospital or surgical supply store. Be sure to check your skin before and after heat or ice packs. Do not use if skin is broken, blistered, or if a rash is present.