Contrast Hydrotherapy

Often enough you will hear me advising using Contrast Hydrotherapy to help decrease inflammation, such as plantar fasciitis or tennis elbow.

Contrast Hydrotherapy is the process of assisting the vascular pump by alternating period of dilation and constriction on an injury using alternating heat and cold.

Let me translate:

When you apply heat to an injured area, you dilate the tissue and draw circulation to it. Apply cold on the same area you constrict the tissue and flush fluids out of it. The greater the difference in temperature between the heat and cold, the greater the effect on local circulation.

How do you do it?

It is best to affect as much of the injured area as possible. For example, in the case of a tennis elbow, it is best to treat the whole forearm.

You can alternate placing the injured tissue in warm and cold water directly, using buckets for example or use hot and cold packs on the area. Hot towels work pretty well for applying heat (soak a hand towel in warm water, wring it then microwave it for a minute. Be careful, the center of the towel will be warmer than the edges.). Bags of frozen peas or corn work well as an ice pack.

The rule of thumb I follow is to use a 2:1 ratio of time for each application. For example, I apply heat for 6 minutes than ice the area for 3 minutes. Pay attention to not burn yourself or freeze the skin.

Repeat the process as much as you have time for. I like to do 3 of 4 applications in one sitting.
Gently stretching during the heating can help.
ALWAYS finish by applying cold, encouraging vasoconstriction instead of congestion.

When to do it?
Do not use Contrast Hydrotherapy on a freshest injury (acute). Use ice at first to contain the swelling. As a rule of thumb, you can start Contrast three days after the initial onset, when the injury is in the subacute phase (when in doubt, consult your primary care physician or bodyworker).
Try using Contrast Hydrotherapy at least once a day.

Try it! It is really powerful.