Contrast bath therapy

Contrast bath therapy, also known as "hot/cold immersion therapy", is a form of treatment where a limb or the entire body is immersed in warm water followed by the immediate immersion of the limb or body in ice water.[1][2] This procedure is repeated several times, alternating hot and cold. Note that the treatment should always end in the ice water, as heat will induces the body's inflammatory response, while cold helps to decrease inflammation.

Theory

The theory behind contrast bath therapy is that the warm water causes vasodilation of the blood flow in the limb or body followed by the cold water which causes vasoconstriction, increasing local blood circulation.[1] Additionally, the lymph vessels contract when exposed to cold, and relax in response to heat. The lymph system, unlike the circulatory system, lacks a central pump. Alternating hot and cold, lymph vessels dilate and contract to essentially "pump" and move stagnant fluid out of the area. This positively affects the inflammation process, which is the body's primary mechanism for healing damaged tissue. One study[3] showed that fluctuations in intramuscular temperature were lower than those caused by a hot bath alone.

Other studies indicate that thermal stress seems to positively influence the immune system.[4][5]

Treatment

Contrast bathing can be used to reduce swelling around injuries or to aid recovery from exercise. It can also significantly improve muscle recovery following exercise by reducing the levels of blood lactate concentration. For any injury presenting with palpable swelling and heat, and visible redness - such as a strain/sprain - contrast baths are contraindicated during the acute inflammation stage. Acute inflammation begins at the time of injury and lasts for approximately 72 hours.

Effectiveness in athletic recovery

The current evidence[1] base suggests that contrast water therapy (CWT) is superior to using passive recovery or rest after exercise; the magnitudes of these effects may be most relevant to an elite sporting population. There seems to be little difference in recovery outcome between CWT and other popular recovery interventions such as cold water immersion and active recovery.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bieuzen, François; Bleakley, Chris M.; Costello, Joseph Thomas (2013-01-01). "Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis". PLOS ONE. 8 (4): e62356. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062356. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3633882Freely accessible. PMID 23626806.
  2. ↑ www.Medindia.net
  3. ↑ Higgins, Diana; Kaminski,Thomas W. (1998). "Contrast Therapy Does Not Cause Fluctuations in Human Gastrocnemius Intramuscular Temperature". J Athl Train. 33 (4): 336–40. PMC 1320584Freely accessible. PMID 16558531.
  4. ↑ Adaptation related to cytokines in man: effects of regular swimming in ice-cold water
  5. ↑ Immune changes in humans during cold exposure: effects of prior heating and exercise
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