THE USE OF COLD INSTEAD OF HEAT FOR THE RELIEF OF MUSCLE SPASM

Abstract

For centuries, man has appreciated the beneficial effects of heat in relieving pain, and various forms of heat have been widely used in physiotherapy techniques to ease pain and facilitate movement. However, the results in relief of muscle spasm have not been uniformly good In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of cold to relieve muscle spasm and pain. J. Travell (1949, 1952) reported on the use of cold in the relief of painful muscle spasm and regarded “trigger” points as of major importance. M. Ellis (1961) commented on the effect of cold in painful muscle spasm, and put forward the theory that relief was effected by bombarding the skin with such a barrage of cold impulses that the pain was obliterated, with a resultant relaxation in the restricted area. The relevant value of heat and cold in the treatment of muscle spasm has been reviewed recently by Don Tigny and Sheldon (1962).