Evidence of Heat Therapy Effectiveness

Heat therapy, or thermotherapy, is an effective form of pain relief, rehabilitation and healing. Heat can soothe bodily aches and pains by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation. There are many forms of heat therapy, including body surface heat treatment with hot packs, water or infrared heat. Deep tissue heat applications include microwave and ultrasound therapy. Heat therapy is effective in treating many medical conditions, such as arthritis, edema and cancer.

Process

• Heat therapy can kill tumor cells.

  Heat therapy can be as simple as applying a warm compress to an aching back, or can be a carefully controlled process that exposes cells in the body to higher than normal temperatures. When the body temperature rises to higher than normal, it is called hyperthermia. Thermal ablation or local hyperthermia kills cells when heat is applied to a small area of the body, such as a tumor or the lining of a woman’s uterus. Whole body or regional hyperthermia does not directly kill cells, but raises body temperature enough to increase the efficiency of other medical treatments, such as immunosuppressive therapy and chemotherapy.

Surface Heat Therapy

• Hydrotherapy heals wounds.

  Heat applied to the body’s surface area can reduce pain in a variety of ways. Infrared heat gives off warmth with a lamp. A paraffin bath uses melted wax to soothe aching joints, feet or hands. Hydrotherapy or warm water whirlpools can aid in wound healing, relieve pain and relax the body.

Forms of Hyperthermia

• Hyperthermia improves cancer treament results.

  The most common form of local hyperthermia is radiofrequency ablation, in which a needle releases high-energy radio waves to create heat between 122 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit to kill cells in a small area. Doctors use this type of hyperthermia to destroy liver tumors. In regional hyperthermia, part of the body’s blood supply is surgically isolated and heated so chemotherapy can more effectively treat the diseased area. Regional isolation often heats a larger part of the body, such as a leg or internal organ, to temperatures of 104 to 133 degrees Fahrenheit. Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion is a technique still being tested in which heated chemotherapy can travel throughout the intestines and digestive organs. Deep tissue hyperthermia uses radiofrequency or microwave energy via a device placed on the surface of an organ or body cavity. Whole-body hyperthermia or fever-range hyperthermia is being studied as a way to boost a patient’s immune system by using a warm environment to raise their temperature for short periods.

Results

• Results are promising.

  Heat therapy in the most basic form is a proven treatment for chronic pain and inflammation and has been shown to help speed healing. According to the American Cancer Society, hyperthermia as used in clinical trials can destroy tumors without surgery and can increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments.

Future

• Hyperthermia trials are underway.

  Hyperthermia is still considered highly experimental in the medical field. Many clinical trials are underway to improve techniques of hyperthermia, and doctors are hopeful that studies will reveal promising treatments for diseases, such as breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.