| In the blink of an eye, an otherwise normal, | | | | to heat them up first, the Theratherm and |
| healthy individual can receive serious injuries with | | | | Thermophore heating pads provide a constant |
| long term consequences from a car accident. | | | | temperature for longer sessions. Besides being |
| Whether you suffer from an injured back, a | | | | great for those recovering from car accidents, |
| broken limb, or simply a sore neck, recovery can | | | | moist heating pads are widely used by people |
| be a long and painful process. | | | | with arthritis. Other products, such as the Bed |
| Thanks to advances in traditional pain relief and | | | | Buddy Body Wrap, Bed Buddy Joint Wrap, or the |
| treatments as well as further exploration into | | | | Bed Buddy Back Wrap, provide moist heat when |
| alternative healing methods, the recovery process | | | | placed in the microwave but do not require you |
| does not have to take nearly as long nor does it | | | | to add water. |
| need to be as painful. With over six million car | | | | Infrared heat therapy is available in a variety of |
| accidents in the United States last year alone, | | | | forms ranging from handheld devices such as the |
| almost half of which resulted in injuries, the need | | | | Light Relief® Therapy product to the Far |
| for pain relief and faster recovery time is | | | | Infrared Home Sauna which can seat two to |
| becoming more and more important. A wide | | | | three people. Infrared rays, which are completely |
| variety of products are available to the public that | | | | harmless, penetrate deep into your skin, |
| provide all types of therapy in the comfort of | | | | effectively warming muscles and soft tissue. They |
| your own home. | | | | increase circulation and help to speed up the |
| Pain Relief Methods Depend on the Type of | | | | healing process by stimulating the production of |
| Injury | | | | collagen, an essential building block of human |
| Before deciding what methods of pain | | | | tissue. |
| management and rehabilitation to use, it is | | | | Cold Therapy, or Cold Compression Therapy, is |
| important to see a doctor after a car accident if | | | | used to relieve pain and reduce swelling in soft |
| you are in pain. Different types of injuries require | | | | tissue injuries. It is especially recommended by |
| different methods of recovery and pain relief, so | | | | doctors and therapists for strains, sprains, pulled |
| be sure to get a thorough evaluation done by a | | | | muscles, and pulled ligaments as well as to reduce |
| physician. | | | | swelling after surgeries. Cold therapy can be as |
| If you have ever had to visit a physical therapist | | | | simple as wrapping a few ice cubes in a towel, |
| or sports therapist to recover from a previous | | | | but because soft tissue injuries can happen |
| injury, you have probably heard of the terms | | | | anywhere on the human body, a wide variety of |
| "TENS Unit" or "Electronic Muscle Stimulator". The | | | | products are available. |
| two devices, while very similar in appearance and | | | | Elasto-Gel Hot and Cold Packs are available in |
| function, use electronic pulses to treat pain in two | | | | several styles and range from traditional hot/cold |
| different ways. A TENS Unit, or Transcutaneous | | | | packs to ergonomically designed packs that are |
| Electrical Nerve Stimulator, emits an electrical | | | | for specific areas of the body. The hot/cold |
| signal through two or more electrodes which | | | | packs come in several sizes while the ergonomic |
| stimulates neurons through your skin. The | | | | wraps are designed for the wrist, the neck |
| resulting stimulation is used to treat pain caused | | | | cervical area, the patella/knee, the shoulder, and |
| by damaged nerves. An Electronic Muscle | | | | the lower back. The gel inside each one of the |
| Stimulator, or "EMS Unit", uses similar electrical | | | | products will not leak if punctured and allows the |
| impulses at a low to cause specific muscle groups | | | | wrap to be flexible even at -20 degrees |
| to contract. This type of therapy is widely used | | | | Fahrenheit. The above-mentioned Bed Buddy |
| by hospitals and sports therapists to help treat | | | | products can also be put in the freezer to be |
| muscular injuries and for re-education of paralyzed | | | | used for cold therapy. |
| muscles. Often misconstrued as a substitution for | | | | Massage Therapy |
| exercise, Electronic Muscle Stimulation is also used | | | | Massage therapy can be useful in the later stages |
| to tone and restore muscles that have begun to | | | | of recovery, but visits to a therapist can be |
| atrophy. | | | | expensive and are not always covered by |
| While both TENS Units and EMS Units include | | | | insurance. A wide variety of home massage |
| self-adhesive electrode pads, some patients may | | | | therapy products allow you to reap the benefits |
| begin to experience skin irritation from prolonged | | | | of a relaxing or deep penetrating massage in the |
| use. Tyco has released a Conductive TENS Unit | | | | comfort of your own home, at a fraction of the |
| Gel that can be used with either application and | | | | cost. The Body Back Buddy is a versatile |
| contains aloe vera to make the treatment more | | | | massage tool that enables you to effectively |
| comfortable for your skin. | | | | massage those hard-to-reach places on your back |
| Heat Therapy vs. Cold Therapy | | | | with minimal effort. The s-shaped curve allows for |
| Heat therapy and cold therapy can be very | | | | the application of deep pressure while the eleven |
| effective in helping car accident victims deal with | | | | therapeutic knobs provide different massages for |
| the pain during the recovery process. Not only do | | | | different parts of your body. Those with limited |
| the two types of therapy take effect quicker | | | | strength and mobility will enjoy the benefits of |
| than pain medications, but they also eliminate the | | | | using the Body Back Buddy long after recovering |
| risk factors associated with prescription | | | | from their injury. |
| medications such as misuse, abuse, and addiction. | | | | Acuforce Massage Products are best suited for |
| While some skeptics dismiss hot and cold therapy | | | | use with a partner. Each of the products is |
| as "old-fashioned", only somewhat effective, and | | | | weighted to provide the necessary downward |
| time consuming to apply, technological | | | | force for a deep penetrating massage without |
| breakthroughs have made these traditional | | | | putting strain on the wrists and hands of the |
| methods of recovery ideal for some of the | | | | person giving the massage. For a more powerful |
| worst types of injuries. | | | | and penetrating massage, the DMS Deep Muscle |
| Heat therapy is commonly used to relieve | | | | Stimulator uses percussion and mechanical |
| soreness and stiffness in muscles and soft tissue. | | | | vibrations to reach deep into muscle tissue to |
| This is especially useful for patients who have | | | | stimulate proprioceptive functions. Unlike any other |
| started to exercise again after recovering from | | | | device on the market, the DMS increases muscle |
| an injury and are using muscles that have been | | | | metabolism and the lactic acid cycle to relieve pain |
| dormant for some time. Heat therapy is available | | | | while breaking up muscle scar tissue. It |
| in an assortment of products and comes in three | | | | constructed of 100% stainless steel and titanium, |
| forms: moist heat, dry heat, and infrared heat. | | | | and is very effective for helping to get rid of |
| Dry heat is commonly found in electric heating | | | | muscle spasms. |
| pads and hot/cold gel pads, but has a tendency to | | | | Before Beginning Home Therapeutic Recovery |
| leave the skin dehydrated. It lacks the ability to | | | | Treatments |
| fully penetrate into muscles and soft tissue like | | | | It is best to check with your doctor before |
| moist and infrared heat, but is preferred by some | | | | beginning certain types of treatments. As certain |
| people because of how easy it is to apply. | | | | wounds heal differently and people heal at |
| Moist heat is found in a wide variety of products. | | | | different rates, your physician can suggest when |
| Some electric heating pads, such as the | | | | to use certain treatments and how long to use |
| Theratherm Digital Moist Heating Pad and the | | | | them for. While none of the above-mentioned |
| Thermophore Automatic Moist Heat Pad, combine | | | | products should be used in place of seeing a |
| the convenience of an electric heating pad with | | | | doctor after a car accident, they will help to make |
| the therapeutic benefits of moist heat. Unlike hot | | | | your recovery process as quick and as painless |
| towels or moist heating devices that require you | | | | as possible. |