What is Heat Therapy? How does it help?

Heat therapy also called as Thermotherapy, is the use of heat for pain relief. It can be beneficial for different types of headaches.

What are the types of Heat Therapy? 

• Dry Heat 

• Dry heat includes sources like heating pads, dry heating packs or even saunas. 

• Mosit Heat

• Moist heat can be applied through headache cap, steamed towels, moist heating packs or hot baths. Moist heat may be slightly more effective as well as require less application time.  

How does it work for headaches?

Heat Therapy can be used for the treatment of headaches and migraines. Many people with chronic headaches also experience tight muscles in their neck and upper back. The application of constant heat to the back/upper back area can help to release the tension associated with headache pain. To achieve heat therapy for headaches, the headache cap helps to provide that consistent heat across the area, maintains a constant temperature allowing people with headaches to use hands-free heat therapy in the treatment of headache pain.

What are the Benefits of Heat Therapy?

Studies have found that heat therapy can affectively improve the circulation and blood flow to a particular area. 

• Reduce Pain
• Increase Blood Flow
• Improve Sleep
• Reduce the effects of asthma and allergies
• Treat depression

When not to use Heat Therapy? 

There are certain cases where we should not use Heat Therapy. If there is an area with a bruise or swollen or both, it is not recommended to use Heat Therapy. It should also should not be applied on an open wound. 

There are a few pre existing conditions where heat therapy should not be applied due to high risk of burns or complications with heat application. They might include: 

• Diabetes 
• Dermatitis
• Vascular diseases
• Deep vein thrombosis 
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) 

If you have a heart disease or hypertension, ask your doctor before you apply heat therapy.