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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Electrotherapy and Physical Agents

Heat therapy

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

nounCommon term

In physiotherapy, heat therapy means: Treatment that warms the body tissues, for example with a hot pack, a heat pad or warm water, to ease pain, stiffness and muscle tension.

In Turkish: sıcak uygulama, termoterapi

How it is used

Often just called 'heat' in conversation: 'try some heat on your back'. In clinics, hot packs are wrapped in towels; infrared lamps and shortwave diathermy are other forms. Heat is usually used for stiffness and long-term pain rather than in the first days after an injury.

Example sentences

  1. Heat therapy before your stretches can make your back feel less stiff.

  2. We avoid heat therapy over areas where the skin has reduced sensation.

Common collocations

  • hot pack
  • apply heat
  • heat pad
  • superficial heat
  • cryotherapyTreatment with cold, such as an ice pack, a cold compress or ice massage, often used to reduce pain and swelling after an injury.
  • stiffnessA feeling that a joint or muscle is tight and hard to move, often worse after rest or first thing in the morning.
  • electrotherapyTreatment that uses electrical energy or electrically powered devices, such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound or laser, to reduce pain, support healing or make muscles work.
  • muscle spasmA sudden, involuntary tightening of a muscle that can be painful and make movement difficult.

More terms: Electrotherapy and Physical Agents

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.