What Are Hydrocollator Packs & How Do They Benefit Physical Therapy Patients?
Part of the reason why physical therapy is so successful and effective is because it often relies on using supplemental therapies in conjunction with manual manipulation techniques in order to relieve pain and restore mobility to the joints of the body. One of the least well known, yet most effective, supplemental therapy techniques employs the use of hydrocollator packs. If you are a previous patient of Elite Physical Therapy, you may have seen the hydrocollator heaters in the therapy rooms or even got to experience using a pack in your therapy.
You are probably wondering what exactly hydrocollator packs are. With a name like that, they must be pretty fancy and high tech, right? Actually, they are essentially just therapeutic pads that can be heated or iced in order to treat a wide range of conditions on an exterior level. Most often, these packs provide a unique type of moist heat to a patient, which tends to be more effective for treating pain related conditions than traditional electrical heating pads are. This is because moist heat can relax the muscles and nerves without drawing up moisture from the skin, so the affected area remains hydrated, which is important for a quicker healing process. Hydrocollator packs can vary in size, depending on what area of the body they are applied to, as well as what condition they are being used to treat specifically. These pads can be filled with different substances with different effects and benefits. Some hydrocollator packs are filled with gel, beads, or silica, while others are filled with corn or even rice.
If you are currently experiencing chronic pain, contact us at Elite at 318-443-3311 about how the use of hydrocollator packs can help you.
