Frequently Asked Questions: General

Hot and Cold Therapies

What should I know about hot and cold therapies?

Heat therapy should be used with chronic, or ongoing discomfort or stiffness. Heat therapy works by opening blood vessels, increasing blood flow, relaxing muscles and decreasing pain.

Apply heat to affected area with an electric heating pad, hot water bottle, or gel pack. Treatment should be for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, three to four times a day. Check skin frequently during treatment (every five to 10 minutes) to make sure that it is not too hot. Do not use heat on areas of decreased sensation, or poor circulation as you could burn yourself.

Cold therapy should be used after acute injuries during the immediate postoperative period or with swelling. Cold therapy works by constricting blood vessels, decreasing swelling and blood flow to the area.

Apply cold, such as ice packs, commercial packs for cold therapy, ice contained within a bag, frozen vegetables, or gel packs, to the affected area. Treatment should be for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, three to four times a day. Check skin frequently during treatment (every five to 10 minutes) to make sure that it is not too cold.

Dehydration and Heat Illnesses

What should I know about dehydration and heat illnesses?

Dehydration is the excessive loss of water from the body, as from illness or fluid deprivation. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, thirst, headache, dizziness, cramps and decreased concentration.

To treat dehydration, move to a cool environment, i.e., inside or to shade and provide fluids.

Heat cramps are considered a mild heat illness, characterized by muscle spasms. Signs and symptoms of heat cramps include muscle pain and spasm, usually associated with exercise with a large loss of fluid and salt and persistent muscle contractions that continue during and after exercise.

To treat heat cramps, provide fluids, like sports drinks, to help replace sodium losses, encourage light stretching, relaxation and massage.

Heat exhaustion is a moderate heat illness, occurring when a person continues to be active physically, usually pushing through dehydration. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include the inability to continue play, loss of coordination, dizziness or fainting, dehydration, profuse sweating, pale skin, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and stomach and other muscle cramps.

To treat heat exhaustion, move to a shaded or air-conditioned area, remove extra clothing and equipment, cool with water, fans or cool compresses, lie with legs elevated above the head, and drink fluids, such as sports drinks and water. If the condition does not improve rapidly, emergency medical treatment is needed.

Exertional heat stroke is a severe illness that occurs when the body creates more heat than it can release. The results are a rapid increase in core body temperature, which can lead to permanent disability or death, if untreated. Signs and symptoms of exertional heat stroke include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, headache, dizziness, hot, dry skin, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, increased rate of breathing, dehydration, an increase in core temperature and central nervous system dysfunction – altered consciousness, seizures, confusion, emotional instability, irrational behavior, decreased mental acuity.

To treat exertional heat stroke, cool with water, fans or cool compresses, remove extra clothing and equipment and seek emergency medical treatment.

Overuse Injuries

What are overuse injuries?

Injuries are of two main types: acute and overuse. Acute injuries usually result from a single traumatic event, and overuse injuries occur overtime from repetitive microtrauma and are usually more subtle than acute injuries.

Overuse injuries are usually the result of improper training, such as too rapid increase of the intensity, duration or frequency of an activity. Technique, biomechanical and individual factors can also play a role in these injuries. Imbalances in strength and flexibility around certain joints can dispose an athlete to injury.

Avoid overuse injuries by proper training and overall conditioning.

Return to Play

When can I return to play?

A goal of the sports medicine team at the UConn Health Center is to return active individuals to action. Return to play is a goal that must be finely balanced by the will and the physical readiness of the athlete.

There are many factors that must be taken into consideration for the return of an athlete to play. The health and safety of the athlete is of primary concern when return to play is considered. Returning to play before adequate healing or recovery from an injury has taken place can increase the risk for re-injury or other injuries.

Returning to play is indicated when the point in the recovery from an injury is reached that allows an athlete to go back to playing their sport, or participating in an activity at a level close to that, which they participated before the injury.