Investigation into the affectivity on cutaneous blood perfusion of different application time lengths of cold hydrotherapy
Item
- Title
- Investigation into the affectivity on cutaneous blood perfusion of different application time lengths of cold hydrotherapy
- Author(s)
- Crossland Shellie
- Abstract
-
Abstract
Hydrotherapy has been used as a treatment modality in its own right and in combination with other therapeutic techniques for centuries. Hydrotherapy is advised to patients at the BCOM clinic and is one of the simplest self-help treatments currently available. As scientific research into the use of hydrotherapy is scarce and often vague in its recommendation for practical use, this study was designed to test and compare the effects on upper limb blood flow of differing time lengths of short cold hydrotherapy application with 30 second, 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 5 minute applications being used; With a view to improving the current short duration hydrotherapy application guidelines used in the college clinic. It was proposed that the different time lengths of hydrotherapy application would have a significantly different influence on both ipsilateral and contralateral blood perfusion and skin temperature, with measurements recorded by Laser Doppler Flowmetry at the cubital fossa. 35 healthy, right-hand dominant male subjects were selected from the student population at BCOM.
The results were collected using the Laser Doppler Blood Perfusion monitor apparatus and once compiled and analysed using a two-way ANOVA test showed that all short duration time lengths of application of cold hydrotherapy had a significant effect on blood perfusion both in the arm to which the hydrotherapy was applied and to the contralateral arm, that there was a significant difference in the skin temperature of the arm to which the hydrotherapy was applied but not to the contralateral arm. The results also showed that though there was no significant difference in blood perfusion between the differing time lengths of application in either the ipsilateral or contralateral arm, there was a significant difference in the skin temperature of the arm to which the hydrotherapy was applied.
It was concluded therefore that short duration applications of hydrotherapy do have a significant effect on blood perfusion in both the limb to which they are applied and the contralateral limb. This has important implications for osteopaths, naturopaths and for future research in this area.
Suggestions for Further Research
If there is a significant difference between differing time lengths of long (>5 min) applications of cold hydrotherapy to the upper limb. This could be a similar investigation but using differing time lengths greater than 5 minutes, currently defined as long duration hydrotherapy (Boyle and Saine 1995) with a view to determining if differing long duration time lengths of application have significantly different effects on BPU when compared to each other.
If there is a significant difference between short (<5mins) time length applications of hot hydrotherapy to the upper limb. This could also be similar to the current investigation except using differing time lengths of hot hydrotherapy application shorter than 5 minutes, currently defined as short duration hot hydrotherapy (Boyle and Saine 1995) with a view to determining if differing short duration time lengths of application of hot hydrotherapy have significantly different effects on BPU when compared to each other.
If there is a significant difference between long (>5 min) time length applications of hot hydrotherapy to the upper limb. This could be a similar investigation but using differing time lengths greater than 5 minutes, currently defined as long duration hydrotherapy (Boyle and Saine 1995) with a view to determining if differing long duration time lengths of hot hydrotherapy application have significantly different effects on BPU when compared to each other.
A similar approach that could be used in the above studies could be adapted in order to measure changes in hydrotherapy application on other areas of the body such as the lower limb. Or if different applications of hydrotherapy to a central part of the body such the thoracic spine have significantly different reflexive effects to each other on the blood perfusion in the lower or upper limbs.
Though no significant difference in BPU between applications was found during this investigation, further research into the application of cold pack hydrotherapy and differing time lengths applied to symptomatic patients, with a view to determining if particular time lengths of application are beneficial in particular conditions may yet show differences in different time lengths of application.
Comparison of cold hydrotherapy application to differing treatment modalities such as hot hydrotherapy application, soft tissue techniques, muscle energy techniques or mobilisation techniques on symptomatic patients would be extremely interesting though most likely outside of the possible scope of dissertation investigation at the college due to time and patient constraints. However, data collected from the college audit procedure could be used to statistically analyse the treatment modalities used on patients and their relative success rates when used in different combinations measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). - presented at
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Date Accepted
- 0
- Date Submitted
- 1.1.1970 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 13665
- Inst-Identifier
- 1076
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Crossland Shellie, “Investigation into the affectivity on cutaneous blood perfusion of different application time lengths of cold hydrotherapy”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 20, 2024, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/1092