Can someone help with Anatomy Question please?

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How might the application of heat or substances dilate blood vessels to help relieve muscle soreness?? Thanks.

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Specializes in M/S, home health, LTC, rehab/orth.

It's my understanding that blood vessels dilate in response to heat and constrict in response to cold in order to maintian homeostasis. They dilate and go closer to the skin to release heat, and constrict and go further away from the skin to avoid losing too much heat. Is this what you're asking? Maybe someone else can do a better job explaining, I'm far from being a teacher. LOL

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Just to add to what Tonya said, it is an attempt to maintain homeostasis.

You apply heat. The heat gets higher than the "set point" for the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus sends messages to the muscles in the blood vessels in the area to dilate. This increases blood flow to the area in an attempt to cool the specific part of the body, but in doing so brings nutrients and extra oxygen to the area as well and also allows for a greater surface area to remove wastes like lactic acid that cause sore muscles - and helps relieve the pain.

Cold works in reverse - blood vessels vasoconstrict, and in doing so reduce WBC's and other inflammatory mediators from coming to an inflamed area.

Does that help? I hope so.

Amanda

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This Helps A Lot!! Thanks>

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