Chronic Pain Management with Thermotex - How it Works

Through the absorption of infrared thermal energy, tissues are safely and gently heated increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area. It does this to move away the excess heat.

The anatomical and physiological implication of Thermotex^TM IR products and the application of IR for relief of pain is founded on the properties and critical functions performed by the body's blood supply and circulatory system.

The principal of homeostasis refers to the body's natural reaction to maintain, or attempt to maintain, a stable internal environment through the body's coordinated responses of the organ systems that automatically compensate for environmental changes. Exposure of the body to IR radiant energy creates an environmental change (absorption of energy and conversion to heat) which accelerates the body's homeostatic response. These natural responses include, among other things, blood flow stimulation (stimulation of peripheral and central thermoreceptors), circulation enhancement (vasodilation and increased permeability of blood vessels) and oxygenation supply and toxic removal from muscle tissue.

The body's homeostatic response to infrared radiation may be in any or all of the following forms of change: in body temperature, blood pressure, chemical compositions (enzymes, blood sugar levels, hormones, etc.) and organ function (e.g. enhanced response by the excretory organs including the kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract).

The most direct homeostatic response to Thermotex^TM IR radiation is the body's homeostasis of body temperature regulation (referred to as homeothermic response).

The human body, regardless of wide fluctuations in environmental temperature, can maintain a constant core temperature near 37C (98.6F); the desired normal range for internal body temperature. Body temperature is maintained by mechanisms that attempt to keep heat production and heat loss in balance. In response to an increase in blood temperature, the body's peripheral thermoreceptors located in the skin and mucous membranes stimulates the body's heat losing centers which respond through vasodilation, perspiration and decreased metabolism to lower the body temperature.

Vasodilation, which is an increase in the diameter of the blood vessels, results in increased permeability allowing substances (oxygen supply and toxic removal) to be passed more easily.

Through an accelerated and enhanced circulatory response, the body naturally fights pain in a fundamental manner: by addressing the cause of the pain (inflammation, injury to nerve fiber or irritation caused by the release of toxic chemicals from microorganisms).

Equine studies have shown therapy applications with thermal energy penetration of up to 2.36 inches. Heating pads, which provide topical conductive heat, only penetrate 2 - 3 mm. Depth of penetration substantiated in a study done by Dr. Ronald J. Riegel entitled "Thermotex Therapy System Infrared heating pad versus conventional heating pad and hot towel."

Thermotex^TM infrared operates at temperatures of between 40C - 45C, versus heating pads that are often in excess of 55C. Our products will not burn or dehydrate the skin.

Most pain medications simply disrupt the body's pain signals to the brain, masking the body's ability to recognize pain, rather than removing the source or cause of that pain. The effectiveness of Thermotex^TM in reducing and controlling your pain will in most cases allow you to reduce your pain medication intake. Thermotex^TM provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.