What Does Deep Heat Do?

What’s covered?

Deep heat treatment is often used to relieve pain and hasten the healing process.

Have you ever undergone deep heat or deep freeze therapy? Heat treatment is often recommended to promote healing after an injury or disease. A heat rub flow dilates the local blood vessels and improves blood circulation.

What is deep heat?

The deep heat treatment differs from the superficial heat treatment. Warm patches or heat creams are used for superficial heating. On the other hand, deep heat is delivered by diathermy or high-energy ultrasounds. While most of you may be familiar with ultrasounds, diathermy is the process in which high-energy electromagnetic alternating currents are used to deliver heat.

How is it done?

It is done through a diathermy machine or ultrasound machine. These machines release high-energy waves. The high frequency (13.56 MHZ) waves produced by the diathermy machine have very high energy. These waves can produce enough heat to dissolve the tissues.

The use of ultrasounds for physical therapy is an old idea. Low power ultrasounds of 1 MHZ frequency have been used since the 1950s in physical therapy. Later, high pressure and high amplitude shock waves were used for this purpose. These shock waves can be strong enough to remove kidney stones. A thin layer of ultrasound gel is applied to the skin. The probe of the machine is placed on the affected area. The waves through this probe enter your body and deliver heat to the deep tissues.

A typical treatment should last only 10-15 mins and is repeated 2-3 times daily for 1-2 weeks for maximum benefits.

Various probes can be attached to the machine, allowing you to treat smaller or larger areas of the skin as required.

What can it do?

Numerous benefits of deep heat therapy have been known. A deep heat rub provides pain relief and improves the working of the body's natural enzymes. This treatment is very beneficial in relieving pain if you have;

• Muscle pain and spasms

• Sore muscles

• Bone and joint issues, e.g., fractures, tendonitis, sprains etc...

• Bursitis and arthritis

• Pus-filled cysts on the skin

• Arthritis

• Rheumatic pain

• Shoulder pain

However, it should not be given on;

• An open wound or broken skin

• Have any inner metal implants, e.g., bone plates and screws, cochlear implants, artificial pacemakers, cancer, numbness and circulatory issues?

• The areas around the heart are to be avoided. Similarly, pregnant women should not undergo heat treatment on the abdomen.

Is it risky?

If you are using heat treatment on a large area of skin, it can cause irritation, nausea and dizziness in addition to pain relief. Report these issues to the doctor if you feel these issues during or after the treatment.

Self-treatment should never be attempted. The bony areas, e.g., hands, feet etc..., can absorb more heat, increasing the severity of pain. It is essential to consult an expert (preferably a physiotherapist) who will suggest the treatment duration and heat intensity required.

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