Therapeutic Modalities

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Therapeutic Modalities

• Modalities-treatment of injuries, including
  heating, cooling, and mechanical/electrical
  methods.
• What modalities do we use in our Training Room?

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Therapeutic Modalities

• Modalities are used to relive pain, reduce or
  retard swelling, decrease spasm, and promote
  healing.
• When used properly they can minimize time lost,
  and shorten recovery time.

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Therapeutic Modalities

• Important to remember, all modalities have
  indications (why you should use) and
  condraindications (why you should not use). Know
  these before you use any modality.

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Thermal Modalities

• Thermal Modalities use thermal agents-heat and
  cold.

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Thermal Modalities

• Cryotherapy-therapeutic use of cooling agents.
  Most often used modality in sports medicine.
• Includes- cold pack, cold bucket bath, ice massage

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Cryotherapy (COLD)

• Helps to manage pain and swelling.
• vasoconstriction of blood vessels
• Decrease in nerve conduction to brain
• Reduce muscle spasm
• Then
• Vasodialation occurs
• Increase in muscle strength after treatment

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Cryotherapy

• Best choice of acute injuries
• Soon after an injury the better
• Application no longer than 20 minutes at one time
• 3-4x a day following injury

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Cryotherapy

• Ice Packs-effective for local area injury.
• Cubes in a plastic bag.
• Commercial Gel Packs
• Chemical-activated cold pack
• Bag of vegetables/frozen rice

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Cryotherapy

• Ice Massage-technique of rubbing ice over injured
  area.
• Local area icing
• Need to make sure area is draped for collection
  of water
• Treatment time only 5 minutes

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Cryotherapy

• Cold Water Compression-systems designed to
  combine compression with cold simultaneously.
• Several shapes to accommodate different body
  parts.
• Some use gravity, some use a pump.

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Cryotherapy

• Ice Baths-immersion of a part in ice water. It
  provides uniform coverage.
• The part can be moved around during treatment.
• 55 degrees F
• 10 minute treatment
• Cold-burning-aching-numb

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Cryotherapy

• Contraindications-
• Sensory deficits (the elderly)
• Hyersensitive to cold
• Impaired circulation
• Heart disease
• Malignant tissue

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Heating Agents (HOT)

• Can be skin deep of up to a few inches deep,
  depending upon modality
• Reduce pain
• Promote healing
• Increase ROM
• Muscle relaxation

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Heating Agents (HOT)

• Increase vasodialation-blood flow
• Increase metabolic rate
• Increase oxygenation of tissue
• Use for chronic or subacute injuries, not acute.

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Heating Agents

• Hydrocollator Packs- moist heat packs used for
  superficial heat.
• Water is at 60-90 degrees C
• Used for 10-20 minutes
• Put in covers for insulation and safety

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Heating Agents

• Heating Pads- Electrical pad or microwaveable pad
  used to get physiological response of heat. Be
  aware of time and temperature.
• Make sure there is enough insulation of pad.

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Heating Agents

• Contraindications
• Not used in first 24-48 hours of injury-heat
  dialates vessels and could cause increase
  bleeding of injury
• If it burns take it off
• Do not use with impaired circulation
• do not use with diminished sensation

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Hydrotherapy
A form of superficial heating using agitated,
heated water in a whirlpool.

• Disadvantages
• Extra time and effort to prepare and clean
• Space
• Expensive
• No elevation

• Advantages
• It can allow the patient to work ROM
• A larger area of the body can be treated
• 10-20 min is treatment time.

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Contrast Therapy

• Alternating hot and cold baths used during the
  subacute phase (48-72 hours) to help reduce
  swelling, pain and increase ROM.
• 50-66 degrees F cold bath
• 102-110 degrees F hot bath
• Always end with COLD
• 3H-1C-3H-1C-3H-1C about 20 minutes

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Thats it Folks

• Well not really we are only half way there just
  be happy this is the end of the first power point.