Course Description:

Hot packs are a heating modality commonly used in rehabilitation settings to reduce pain and muscle spasm and to improve tissue extensibility. Indications for their use include back pain, reduced range of motion (ROM), and delayed-onset muscle soreness. They are often used as a preliminary treatment to other modalities and as an adjunct to other therapy such as therapeutic exercise. Commercially available hot packs are typically made of canvas or nylon and are filled with a hydrophilic substance such as silicate or sand. They are kept in a hydrocollator at a temperature between 70° and 75°C. The hot pack will retain heat for about 20 minutes; hence, applications are 15-20 minutes in length. Several layers of toweling should be placed between the hot pack and the skin to prevent burns. Although they may deliver heat to deeper tissues than electric heating pads, hot packs are superficial heating modalities and tend to be most beneficial when the target tissue is immediately subcutaneous. Contraindications to their use include sensory deficits, vascular insufficiency, acute inflammation, and recent hemorrhage.