Cryotherapy & Thermotherapy

I was contacted by an associate editor of MASSAGE Magazine yesterday as an "expert" in the area of cryotherapy and thermotherapy.  This is my response to her.  Hope you enjoy and so you can call them out if they don't acknowledge me!  LOL
                
                First let me thank you for considering my input on this subject.  I have studied the uses of hot and cold therapy and feel that it is therapy that works, as it has over the ages when people did not have anything else to use.  I feel that the best ways of using both cryotherapy and thermotherapy are still some of those original ways also – Ice and heat in their natural forms.  That does not however keep me from using some Tiger Balm or Polar Lotion on occasion.
 
                So, let me answer your questions and give a little background on why to use these things.  The main reason for using any hydrotherapy method is to take the body momentarily away from homeostasis to let the body respond by stimulating the system to heal itself.  And obviously cryotherapy will take the body further away from homeostasis than thermotherapy when we look at the base body temperature of 98.6F.  Both applications have a physiological and circulatory effect on the body by causing vasoconstriction/vasodilation thereby causing either a decrease or increase in both circulation and metabolism.  But that is the science of hydrotherapy.
 
                The benefits of cryotherapy and thermotherapy are therefore based on this science.  And the benefits of each will depend on the duration of the treatment – short or long application.  An ice pack left on for 10 minutes will be totally different from an ice bath used by athletes.  Likewise a hot pack applied on a sore muscle for 10 minutes will have a different effect than an hour long hot stone massage.
 
                The benefits of cryotherapy include:

• An analgesic – pain relief can be a counter-irritant to the stimulation of sensory nerves in the affected area.
• An anesthetic – used to numb an area
• A stimulant – used in a short application, cold can stimulate the body by taking it away from homeostasis
• Burn management – especially useful in the case of sunburns/minor burns to minimize blistering
• Tonic – causes muscle to contract to increase muscle tone
                  I use cold stones for facial massage for migraine or headache relief.  I also use cold stones for muscle overuse especially using a marble neck pillow for clients who work at computers.  Additionally, I use cold after treatment of trigger points.
                  Reasons to use cryotherapy include: sprains or strains, inflammation, pain relief, swelling, headaches, muscle spasms, and any stage of injury.
   
                  The benefits of thermotherapy include:
• An analgesic – as mentioned above both cold and hot can be a counter-irritant
• Diaphoretic – heat can cause sweating which is excellent for opening and cleansing pores which is why heat/steam is used in many facial applications
• Sedative – moderate heat will induce relaxation of muscle
• A stimulant – just like cold when heat is used in a short application it can be to stimulate the body. Short applications of both hot or cold can be perceived by the body as a threat and therefore the body reacts to this stimulation physiologically
                  I use heat to help warm up tissue prior to working tense or sore muscles.  I do this using the heating pad on the table or having heated stones available.  I also do full body hot stone massage as a relaxation technique; however, I advise the client that the effects of this treatment will last longer than the hour they spend on the table due to the body’s physiologic response to the treatment.  The body will take longer to come back to its normal homeostasis after a longer treatment of either hot or cold.
                  Reasons to use thermotherapy include: muscle stiffness or guarding, joint pain and stiffness, stress relief, relaxation, pre-stretching or pre-massage.
   
                  My experience has been that clients see a bigger response when I use hot/cold in their massage sessions.   And if you are asking what is the most helpful in regards to how to use hot and cold I would have to say my stones have been the most helpful in using cryotherapy and thermotherapy in my practice.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a “tin” of Tiger Balm or a container of Biotone’s Polar Lotion by my table.  Additionally, I will use specific essential oils mixed with my lotion to create heating or cooling to a muscle area.