WHEN NOT TO USE HOT THERAPY
DO NOT use hot therapy on patients with any of the following contraindications:
- History of heat injury or adverse reactions to hot therapy
- Incoherent due to sedation, anesthesia, coma or sleep
- Decreased skin sensitivity or localized circulation or wound healing problems
- Arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis
- Abdomen of women who are pregnant
- Localized malignancy in treatment area
- Hypersensitivity to heat
- Local tissue infection, swelling or inflammation
WHEN NOT TO USE COLD THERAPY
DO NOT use cold therapy on patients with any of the following contraindications:
- History of cold injury, frostbite, or adverse reactions to cold therapy
- Incoherent due to sedation, anesthesia, coma, or sleep
- Decreased skin sensitivity or localized circulation or wound healing problems, including those caused by multiple surgical procedures
- Circulatory syndromes due to Raynaud's disease, Buerger's disease, peripheral vascular disease, vasospastic disorders, or hypercoagulable clotting disorders
- Hand/wrist or foot/ankle surgery exhibiting polyneuropathy
- Hypersensitivity to cold
- Children 12 and under
- Local tissue infection
- Diabetes
If you have any of the above contraindications, ask your healthcare provider for alternate treatments.