Hydrotherapy
Therapeutic Cold
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General Therapeutic
Effects of Cold:
-
Reduces muscle spasm
by breaking the pain-spasm-pain cycle.
-
Reduces spasticity when
muscle temperature is reduced. Used to move muscles so that they can be
reprogrammed to increase motor skills as in subacromial bursitis.
-
Relieves pain through
its direct effect on nerve fibers and receptors
-
Reduces Inflammation
in the early phase
-
Reduces swelling an
edema in the acute phase
-
Secondary effect of
cold is heat ad body restores normal temperature
Types of cooling:
-
Convective: blowing
air over skin
-
Evaporative: removal
of heat by using ethyl chloride sprays
-
Conductive: contact
with cooled substances such as ice packs or compresses
Application Times:
-
Application times must
be adjusted to reach the area to be treated. Ligaments need more
time because of the depth and type of collagen fibers.
-
Times must be adjusted
according to the size of the injured area, the nervous system sensitivity
and the amount of adipose tissue present.
-
Start with a minimum
of about 5 minutes and check to see how cold the area is.
-
It also depends on what
source of cold you use- straight ice in zip-lock or gel packs.
Contraindications:
-
Previous frostbite or
other hypersensitivity to cold such as Raynaud's disease or Lupus
-
Poor kidney function
-
Hypothyroidism - causes
further reduction in basal metabolic rate
-
Advanced Cardiovascular
disease because of increase in systolic blood pressure
Slows wound healing
by slowing cell metabolism
