2003 Volume 26 Issue 5 Pages 5_45-5_57
The purpose of this study, which was conducted using a hot-water bottle as a thermal modality, was to clarify the effect of the temperature of the hot water on the blood flow volume in the skin and the subjective thermal sensation.
The crossover design was made using hot-water bottles of 3 different temperatures, 80°C, 55°C, and 30°C. Fourteen healthy female volunteers were enrolled in this study. The 30-degree temperature was used as the control, because it was similar to the internal temperature inside the bed. Each hot-water bottle was applied to the subject's foot soles.
The hot-water bottles of 80°C and 55°C significantly affected not only the cutaneous blood flow of the toes and the deep plantar temperature but also the thermal sensation to the temperature. Specifically, the bottle of 80°C affected the subjective sensation to greater degrees than that of 55°C. Interestingly, each bottle did not increase the air temperature inside the bed. These results suggested that the hot-water bottle transferred the heat energy directly to the subject's soles.
This study implied that the hot-water bottle of 80°C, which was previously considered to be less useful, may be more useful than that of 50°C, if care is taken to avoid heat injuries.
