Fagan, J, VanderVeen, J, Hamann, H; Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO. julescf77@yahoo.com.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the research project is to determine if a consensual heating effect is present in an ipsilateral lower extremity by superficial heating of the low back. BACKGROUND: In the clinic, consensual heating vasodilation is practiced where a heat source is applied to a more proximal area of the body to increase blood flow to the more distal affected area. Rationale of consensual heating is that by heating the more proximal part, the blood flow will increase and will then increase the tissue temperature at a different location in the body. A review of the literature has shown contradicting results of the effect of consensual heating. SUBJECTS: A 60 year old male with a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease was recruited for this study. METHODS: A single subject design was utilized for this investigation. The subject was positioned prone for 15 minutes with his lower leg exposed to accommodate to room temperature. After initial temperatures were taken, a hot pack was applied to his right low back for 15 minutes, during which skin temperatures were obtained on 5 locations of the right lower leg at 5 minute increments. Final skin temperatures were taken 15 minutes after the removal of the hot pack. Skin temperatures were measured with an infrared thermometer. The same procedure was repeated using a room-temperature hot pack 3 days later. ANALYSIS:A visual analysis was performed on the data. The mean starting temperature of the distal extremity for the room temperature hot pack trial was 84.4 ° F (SD= 1.8) compared to 87.0 ° F (SD= 1.9) for the heated hot pack trial. The mean final temperature of the distal extremity for the room temperature hot pack trial was 80.8 ° F (SD= 2.2) compared to 83.4 ° F(SD= 2.5) for the heated hot pack trial. RESULTS: The data trends we observed do not support a consensual heating effect in a patient with peripheral vascular disease. The difference in initial lower extremity temperatures may be a result of differences in ambient room temperature since ambient room temperature was not measured. The decreased lower extremity temperatures may be a result of insufficient time for the extremity to acclimate to the room temperature. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained contradicted our hypothesis and demonstrated a cooling effect of the lower extremity, rather than a heating effect. A larger sample size or multiple trials on the same subject may show different results. Consensual heating may cause a shunting of blood from the lower extremity. FUNDING SOURCE: None.

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