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Physiological Effects of Heat

The physiological effects of heat depend on factors like type, intensity, duration, and tissue response. Heat must be absorbed by tissue to cause an increase in molecular activity and spread to adjacent tissue. Therapeutic effects of heat include increasing collagen extensibility, decreasing joint stiffness, reducing pain and inflammation. Superficial heat increases subcutaneous and deeper tissue temperatures through reflex effects and conduction, with moist heat causing greater indirect temperature increases than dry heat. Special considerations for superficial heat include never applying it when there is loss of sensation or poor circulation.

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496 views

Physiological Effects of Heat

The physiological effects of heat depend on factors like type, intensity, duration, and tissue response. Heat must be absorbed by tissue to cause an increase in molecular activity and spread to adjacent tissue. Therapeutic effects of heat include increasing collagen extensibility, decreasing joint stiffness, reducing pain and inflammation. Superficial heat increases subcutaneous and deeper tissue temperatures through reflex effects and conduction, with moist heat causing greater indirect temperature increases than dry heat. Special considerations for superficial heat include never applying it when there is loss of sensation or poor circulation.

Uploaded by

rabeya
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HEAT

The body response to heat depends on the type of heat energy applied, the intensity of
the heat energy, the duration of application, and the unique tissue response to heat.
For a physiological response to occur, heat must be absorbed into the tissue, causing
an increase in molecular activity. Following the tissue’s absorption of heat energy,
heat is spread to adjacent tissue. To effect a therapeutic change that results in normal
function of the absorbing tissue, the correct amount of heat must be applied. With too
little, no change occurs; with too much, the tissue is damaged further.

There are still many unanswered questions about how heat produces therapeutic
responses and what types of thermotherapy are most appropriate for a given condition.
The desirable therapeutic effects of heat include:
(1) increasing the extensibility of collagen tissues.
(2) decreasing joint stiffness.
(3) reducing pain.
(4) relieving muscle spasm.
(5) reducing inflammation, edema, and exudates.
(6) increasing blood flow.

Heat affects the extensibility of collagen tissue by increasing the viscous flow of
collagen fibers and subsequently relaxing the tension. From a therapeutic point of
view, heating contracted connective tissue permits an increase in extensibility through
stretching. Muscle fibrosis, a contracted joint capsule, and scars can be effectively
stretched while being heated or just after the heat is removed.

An increase in extensibility does not occur unless heat treatment is associated with
stretching exercises.

Both heat and cold relieve pain. stimulating the free nerve endings and peripheral
nerves by a "gating" mechanism or secretion of endorphins; after gating, cold numbs
the area. Muscle spasm caused by ischemia can be relieved by heat, which increases
blood flow to the area of injury.

Heat is also believed to assist inflammation and swelling by a number of related


factors such as such as raising temperature, increasing metabolism, reducing oxygen
tension, lowering the pH level, increasing capillary permeability, and releasing
histamine and bradykinin (peptide chemical that causes pain in an injured area), which
cause vasodilatation. Histamine and dradykinin are released from some cells during
acute and chronic inflammation. Heat is also produced by axon reflex and vasomotor
reflex change. Parasympathetic impulses stimulated by heat are believed to be one
reason for vasodilation.

SUPERFICIAL THERMOTHERAPY

Heat applied superficially to the skin directly increases the subcutaneous temperature
and spreads to the deeper tissues. Muscle temperature increases through a reflexive
effect on circulation and through conduction. Comparatively, when heat is applied at
the same temperature, moist heat causes a greater indirect increase in the deep-tissue
temperature than does dry. Dry heat, in contrast to moist heat, can be tolerated at
higher temperatures. Superficial heat application causes vasodilation that continues up
to 1 hour after its removal.

Special considerations in the use of superficial heat

In general, superficial heating of the skin is a safe therapeutic medium, assuming of


course, that the heat is kept at a reasonable intensity and application is not for too long
a period. The following are important contraindications and precautions to be taken
when using superficial heat:

1. Never apply heat when there is a loss of sensation.


2. Never apply heat immediately after an injury.
3. Never apply heat when there is a decrease in arterial circulation.
4. Never apply heat directly to the eyes or the genitals.
5. Never heat the abdomen during pregnancy.

MOIST HEAT THERAPIES

Heated water is one of the most widely used therapeutic modalities in sports
medicine. The greatest disadvantage of hydrotherapy is the difficulty in controlling
the therapeutic effects, primarily as a result of the rapid dissipation of heat, which
makes maintaining a constant tissue temperature difficult.

For the most part moist heat aids the healing process in some local conditions by
causing higher superficial tissue temperatures; however, joint and muscle circulation
increase little in temperature. Superficial tissue is a poor thermal conductor, and
temperature rises quickly on the skin surface as compared to the underlying tissues.

Moist heat packs , sometimes called hydrocollator packs, heat by conduction.


Indications: The major value of the moist heat pack is that its use results in general
relaxation and reduction of the pain-spasm- ischemia- hypoxia-pain cycle. There are
limitations of the moist heat pack and all other superficial heating modalities. The
deeper tisues, including the musculature, are usually not significantly heated because
the heat transfer from the skin surface into deeper tissues is inhibited by the
subcutaneous fat, which acts as a thermal insulator, and by the increased skin flow,
which cools and carries away the heat externally applied.

Special Considerations

1. Patient should not be lying on back.


2. Be sure patient is comfortable at all times.

Whirlpool Bath therapy is a combination of massage and water immersion.

Indications

1 . The whirlpool provides both conduction and convection. Conduction is achieved


by the skin’s contacting the higher water temperature. As the water swirls around the
skin surface, convection occurs.

2. This medium assists the body part in reducing swelling, muscle spasm, and pain.
Due to the buoyancy of the water, active movement of the part is also assisted.

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