Heat Therapy/Cold Therapy

Excerpts from the entry on Heat Therapy/Cold Therapy in Relieving Pain Naturally by Dr. Sylvia Goldfarb and Roberta W. Waddell. For full entries on all 37 conditions and 27 treatments, order the book.

Heat therapy/cold therapy, also known as thermotherapy, is the therapeutic application of heat or cold to provide relief from many forms of pain, and it is one of the first tools that therapists turn to for this purpose. Heat therapy causes the blood vessels to dilate, while cold therapy causes them to constrict. Applying heat makes blood rush to the area, nourishing and cleansing it. Applying cold does just the opposite; it decreases blood flow to the area, which helps reduce inflammation

Also in this entry:

• The History of Heat/Cold Therapy
• How Heat/Cold Therapy Works
• Painful Conditions that Respond Well to Heat/Cold Therapy
• Advantages of Heat/Cold Therapy
• How to Use Heat/Cold Therapy
• Alternating Heat/Cold Therapy
• Cautions
• Clinical Studies

See below for full list of all conditions and treatments in the book. Or, download a complete Condition entry or Treatment entry for free.