Chiropractic care offers an option when you prefer a holistic approach to healthcare. When it comes to sore muscles and strains and sprains, hot and cold therapy is a way to provide treatment without having to resort to medication. Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV provides chiropractic treatments including cryotherapy to residents in Nitro, Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, and Teays Valley, WV.
What is cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures, at or near freezing, to treat injuries, inflammation, and pain. When you use an ice pack on your sprained ankle, you are using cryotherapy at its most basic level. It can be used as a whole-body treatment, or it can be applied to a particular part of the body.
It is often used to help accelerate the healing of injuries in athletes. Using ice packs for muscle pains has been mainstream for years. When the ice pack is removed, the circulation is increased in the area and this helps not just raise the temperature, but to promote healing and pain relief. When cold is applied, it encourages the production of endorphins, which are nature's pain relievers.
A 2000 study showed that cryotherapy provided temporary relief for the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
Heat therapy
Heat therapy increases blood flow to the area that is injured or in pain. It is often used with stiff and sore muscles. Heat treatment is usually more effective when it comes to chronic pain and arthritis. But some chiropractic therapies also use heat to treat soft tissues and promote healing. Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to vibrate and health the tissues below the skin and help promote healing at a cellular level.
Heat is also psychologically comforting and when you are sore, you want to be comforted. That is where a heating pad or warm packs can help. A hot stone massage uses heat therapy to help relax and provide a feeling of contentment.
Cold and heat therapy are often used one after the other to treat injuries in the soft tissues. Cold brings down the swelling and slows the blood flow and heat increases blood flow and provides relaxation and comfort.
Contact us
Don't wait, call our office today. Dr. McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV will help you with your pain. The option of cryotherapy will be discussed and if hot and cold therapy makes sense, it can be used. Reach out to us at (304) 776-1520.
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