When you have a back or neck pain, or a sore joint, you put a hot water bottle on it and rub it, right? The relief you feel from that heat is amazing. Imagine, what if there was a way to treat serious illnesses using this simple concept in a much more advanced way? That's what we call Hyperthermia Therapy. This is also called heat therapy. Let's see what it is, how it is done, and who can benefit from it.
Simply put, what is this hyperthermia treatment?
Hyperthermia therapy is, simply put, a method of treating medical conditions by increasing the body's temperature in a controlled manner under medical supervision. It is not as simple as keeping a hot water bottle at home. It is a highly advanced technology that uses advanced technology to maintain the body's temperature at a specific level for a specific period of time.
This treatment method is mainly used for two purposes.
1. Supporting cancer treatment: Hyperthermia therapy is used to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatments given to cancer patients. When heat is applied, cancer cells become more sensitive to these treatments. Therefore, this helps in speeding up the shrinkage of cancer tumors.
2. To reduce pain and muscle stiffness: This treatment is used to reduce associated pain and relax tight muscles and tendons, especially for those suffering from inflammatory joint conditions such as Ankylosing Spondylitis .
In this treatment, heat can be applied to only a part of the body (Regional Hyperthermia) or to the entire body (Systemic Hyperthermia), depending on your condition.
How does this treatment help reduce pain?
This is a very interesting story. Especially when talking about systemic hyperthermia, what your doctor is actually doing is giving you a controlled, artificial fever . When we have a fever, our body heats up as a defense mechanism. That's what's happening here.
When our body temperature is raised in a controlled manner below 41 degrees Celsius, our immune system is stimulated. It's like waking up our body's disease-fighting soldiers.
This stimulation increases the production of various chemicals in the body. One of these chemicals is called endorphins .
Endorphins are natural painkillers produced by our brains. When these are produced more, the pain we feel decreases, and we start to feel happy and relaxed. These endorphins are also responsible for the feeling of well-being that you feel after a good workout.
So this treatment increases the production of this natural painkiller and reduces your pain. Also, the heat relaxes the muscles and tendons that are tight, making the joints easier to move. Especially for people with diseases like ankylosing spondylitis, it has been found that when this hyperthermia treatment is combined with low-dose Radon Therapy, the movement and flexibility of the joints are greatly improved.
| Main benefits of treatment | What happens inside the body |
|---|---|
| Pain relief | Increases the production of endorphins, which are natural painkillers. |
| Muscle relaxation | Heat reduces the activity of tight muscles and tendons and relaxes them. |
| Stimulation of immunity | It activates the body's immune system and releases chemicals that relieve symptoms. |
| Ease of movement | Especially in inflammatory joint diseases, movement becomes easier due to reduced pain and stiffness. |
How is this treatment done?
When performing systemic hyperthermia, the main goal of doctors is to raise your whole body temperature to a moderate level, in a controlled manner. This is usually a temperature of 38.7 to 39 °C . This is similar to the temperature we have when we have a normal fever.
This temperature is not raised all at once. It is brought to this temperature very slowly and in a controlled manner over a period of about an hour . Special equipment is used for this. For example, special heat blankets, infrared chambers, or hot tubs can be used. Throughout this process, your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are constantly monitored by medical staff.
Can you do it at home?
The most important thing to remember here is that this is something you should never try at home. You will not get the results of this treatment by taking a hot bath, going to a sauna, or staying well wrapped up. Doing so can cause the body to overheat (heat stroke), which can be very dangerous.
This should be done under strict medical supervision, in a hospital or specialized clinic, by specially trained staff. Your doctor will assess your condition and decide whether this treatment is right for you, how it will be done, and for how long.
Take-Home Message
- Hyperthermia is an advanced medical treatment that involves raising body temperature in a controlled manner.
- It is mainly used to support cancer treatment and reduce pain in diseases like ankylosing spondylitis.
- One of its main functions is to increase the production of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and to stimulate the immune system.
- This treatment should only be done under complete medical supervision , and it is very dangerous to try at home.
- If you think this treatment might be beneficial for a medical condition you have, talk to your doctor about it and seek his advice.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න