This has come up a few times this week, so why not do a post?
I don't have a hydrocollator (the hot water tank full of hot packs in many physio clinics) in my clinic space. It's actually at the bottom of my list of things to acquire as the business grows!
Heat is definitely comforting, and can perhaps help with blood flow, chronic inflammation, and getting tissues to relax before we get working on them.
But do you know what else also heats up tissues, reduces chronic inflammation, and helps things to relax? Movement!!! It's also the most important component to getting you better rather than only providing temporary relief!
Unfortunately, you can only see one patient at a time with this approach -- which is how I think things should be anyway.
If you have 60 minutes of one-on-one time with me that you are paying for, although the heat can be really comforting, why spend it lying on a table doing something that you can do yourself at home, or even at your office desk while you work? Let's spend our time focusing on what's most important to getting you better instead.
Of course, there are some cases where things are so acute and painful where some heat can help the patient relax and move a little better for the rest of their session, but this is rarely the case for most people I see. I'd much rather start with even small, gentle movement or some manual therapy in these patients than have someone sit around with a hot pack.
Sorry (not sorry), but physio shouldn't be like a visit to the spa! Don't worry-- even when the pain or injury is severe, we can start with safe and gentle movement to get the ball rolling.
Let's focus our time on getting you moving and back to normal instead. If you are in Calgary, Alberta and dealing with a musculoskeletal condition such as neck, back or knee pain, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, a rotator cuff injury, TMJ issues, and beyond-- or even if you just trying to get healthier - feel free to get in touch at mark@physiobox.ca or book in here for a free 20 minute consult to see if I'm the right physiotherapist to get you back to feeling better and living life with freedom.