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Introduction
Moist Heat Therapy is an therapeutic application of Moist Heat to the tissues. It help in relieving pain, muscle spasm and associated symptoms. Moist heat therapy is more effective at warming tissues than dry heat because water transfer heat more quickly than air. Moist Heat causes skin dehydration. In additional the skin is less irritable to the Moist Heat Therapy.
The Moist Heat Therapy is preferred for the reduction of muscle spasm and pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders. It dilate the blood vessels and increase flow of blood or blood circulation in local areas.
Table of Contents
Mechanism of Transfer of Heat
When the hot packs of higher temperature are placed on the body, the tissues would come in contact with the hot source. Therefore the heat from the packs would be transfer to the tissues. The tissues would heat up first and then would be transferred to the another or adjacent tissues through the conduction method. Therefore, the kinetic motion of atom and molecule of one object is passes to another object.
Physiological Effect
The application of Moist Heat Therapy to the body tissues is aimed to achieve certain physiological effects in order to decrease pain and muscle spasm. The temperature of Moist Heat Therapy should be in therapeutic range so that it will not provide any type of irritation and discomfort on the skin. The therapeutic range of tissue temperature should be in between 40-45 degree Celsius. Excessive range in temperature can damage the tissues. The physiological effect of the temperature on the tissues depend upon the rate at which heat is being applied to the tissues, duration of the treatment and area of tissues exposed to the heating modality.
The application of Moist Heat Therapy to the tissues results in elevation of tissue temperature, increase metabolic activities, increase hemodynamic function, increase neural response, skeletal muscle activity and collagen tissue extensibility. The physiological effect may either be local or systemic.
Local Physiological effect
- Vascular Response- Blood flow has an important role in the both nutrition and maintain a core body temperature of 37 degree Celsius. It’s primarily under the control of sympathetic adrenergic nerves. Application of heat to the body increase temperature, produce vasodilation, decrease viscosity of blood and increase blood circulation of local area. The rise in temperature causes lots of sweat secretion. The enzymes kallikrein is released from sweat gland which act on the globulin and kininogen, to release Bradykinin.
- Metabolic Response- The rise in temperature within therapeutic range increase the metabolic activity and chemical reaction in the cell of the body. The increase body metabolic rate of following tissue temperature rise in crease the activity of leucocytes and phagocytes. It also increase circulation of blood which increase oxygen uptake, which helps more nutrient available accelerate tissue healing.The 1 Degree Celsius of core temperature would be increase cellular activity and metabolic rate by 10%-13%.
- Neuromuscular Response- Superficial heating therapy increase tissues temperature which may increase pain threshold , alter nerve conduction velocity and change muscle spindle firing rate. Muscle spasm is a protective type which result from overuse of muscles during exercise, trauma, injury or pathological changes in the tissues. The muscle spindle (Afferent) that alter their rate of firing primarily in response to tonic or static stretch, are the type II afferent.
Moist Heat Therapy do not increase the temperature of the muscle at therapeutic level so do not alter type II afferent directly. The increase of the temperature at the therapeutic level demonstrated to produce a decrease in gamma efferent activity which reduce stretch on the muscle spindle and afferent firing from the spindles. There is a firing of Golgi tendon organs that inhibit the tone of muscle.
Systemic Physiological Effect
The application Moist Heat for prolong period of time can result in rise in temperature of the body . There is reduction hepatic clearance , reduction of splanchnic blood flow and reduction in urine flow. The extensive vasodilation and excessive sweating due to stimulation of sweat gland can result in fall in blood pressure.
Clinical USE/Indication
- Control of pain
- Tissue Flexibility
- Accelerate Tissue Healing
- Increase Range of Motion
- Control of edema
- Reduce Muscle Spasm
- Post Burn contracture
- Post fracture Stiffness
- Chronic inflammation
- Achieve Muscle Relaxation
Contraindication
- Impaired skin sensation
- Open wound
- Hypersensitivity
- Any dermatological condition
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Acute Inflammation
- During Injury
- Malignancy
- Tumor
- Tubeculosis
- Generalized Edema
- Deep X-RAY therapy
- Non-cooperative patients
To learn more about Moist Heat Therapy watch this given link
To learn more about Ultrasound Therapy click this given link- https://physiocontent.com/paraffin-wax-bath-therapy/