Healing Chance Equine Manual Therapy

    Infrared Heat Therapy

    Infrared light is a portion of the natural color spectrum that is comprised of wavelengths of sunlight too long to be visible to the human
    eye. Because of its very long wavelength, Infrared light has the ability to penetrate the skin and warm the body directly. Infrared heat
    therapy can penetrate far below the surface of the skin to produce a soothing and comforting effect upon the nerves. Such heat
    therapy relieves muscular tension, reduces inflammation, and provides pain relief for many conditions such as:

    •        Joint stiffness
    •        Arthritis
    •        Muscle and joint pain
    •        Sore back
    •        Tendonitis
    •        Bursitis
    •        Sprains
    •        Other chronic type musculoskeletal conditions








    Infrared heat therapy can be beneficial for expediting the healing response of soft tissue injuries, such as tendonitis and ligament
    injuries, by reducing limb swelling, improving blood flow into a damaged area, and increasing tissue elasticity. In the case of tendon
    injury, “the tendon heals by replacing the damaged fibers with new collagen; however, if left to itself, the healed tendon is not as
    strong as an undamaged tendon” (Equine Research, Lameness, p.406). Tendon as well as ligament injuries are typically slow to
    heal due to poor localized blood supply, and the risk of re-injury is high if the horse is returned to the training regimen too soon. The
    risk of re-injury can be reduced by gradual increase in mobility and physical therapy methods.

    Note: Heat therapies should not be administered in the case of acute injuries as long as acute swelling, bruising, or heat is still
    evident; thus, heat therapy should not begin until at least two days after the injury. In the case of recent injury, I prefer to consult with
    the client’s veterinarian to determine the appropriate time to begin heat therapy.

    Here is a very informative article about heat therapy written by Andris J. Kaneps DVM, PhD:
    http://www.equinesite.com/articles/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1292

       
Eeva Patrakka ~ (503) 630-5615 ~ E-mail: Eeva@HealingChance.com
© 2008 Healing Chance Equine Manual Therapy. Website created by Eeva Patrakka.
“Heat activates complex neurological, vascular and metabolic mechanisms to mediate the
transmission of pain signals and effectively provide relief for a variety of pain conditions”  
(Peter Vicente, Ph.D., past president of the American Pain Society and Clinical Health
Psychologist, Riverhills Healthcare, Cincinnati, OH).  With Infrared heat, the body’s natural
energy is stimulated to relieve pain effectively via numerous nerve endings and by
stimulating the blood flow to an injured area.
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