Use of Heat and Cold
Assignment Reflection
Brandon Balmer
Cold or Heat. Which do I use? The use of hot and cold dominates therapeutics like
no other physical agent modalities. Other than the end goal of healing, the transfer
of heat energy whether by cold or heat application seems to be the greatest
commonality among therapeutic modalities. This is what stands out to me when
reflecting upon my therapeutic modalities class, and the assignments completed for
it. During my time in physical therapy, I have often tried to simplify what physical
therapy is when I am asked. The simplest answer I could give someone would be
that it is the manipulation or facilitation of the physiological healing stages or
processes. Heat and cold paly a large role in this healing by bringing about certain
therapeutic and physiological effects. Throughout the semester, it was interesting
to see how both heat and cold could elicit these effects. Many effects were obvious
because we deal with hot and cold on a daily basis, yet some seemed
counterintuitive, such as the use of cold before exercise or before stretching. One
example would be how range of motion can increase more with cold application
versus heat application because of the potentially better pain reducing effect that
cold has over heat.
Another great example experienced first hand was an assignment that used a
contrast bath, which incorporates both heat and cold. The assignment had me
alternate immersion of my leg between cold and hot water. I experienced typical
physiological effects depending on which bath I was in at the time, but what was
most interesting was how much my metabolism and physiology changed to either
dissipate the heat or combat the cold depending on the circumstance. I did not think
that I would be able to feel that big of a difference by just immersing my ankle. I
sweated when in the warm water and saw my ankle swell from vasodilation. I felt
my ankle shrink and my body tense up when I was in the cold water. The effects of
heat and cold are of course many, and if used correctly can be of great benefit to
patients.
So which is it to be? Heat of cold? It depends upon the patient and their
needs. It depends upon what effects we want and how we want to manipulate or
facilitate the healing process.