Abstract
To examine the effect of moist and dry hot packs (HPs) on lower leg circulation, 10 lower limbs of 5 healthy adults were studied. A moist or dry HP was applied to the calf in the prone position for 20 minutes; the former was wrapped in 8 cotton towels, and the latter in a vinyl bag and 3 cotton towels. The skin surface temperature and microvascular blood volume were measured before and after HP application. As a result, a significant increase in the microvascular blood volume of the lower leg was observed after the application of a moist HP. Such an increase was not observed with dry HPs. These results demonstrated that moist HPs are effective to increase lower leg circulation.
