This is primarily due to freezing of tissues followed by rapid rewarming. This results in an excessive amount of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces and subcutaneous tissues. Some of the treatment techniques utilized to control edema include use of light compressive dressings as mentioned above, as well as elastic stockinettes and custom-fit elastic Jobst gloves. The stockinettes and elastic gloves are never fitted to the patient until the wounds are closed. Conventional TENS settings are generally used with the electrode placements along peripheral nerve distributions.
Manual desensitization is another means of quieting the pain and superficial skin hypersensitivity.
The patient progresses to more coarse textures and contact media as they can tolerate. This treatment method allows a bombardment of stimuli to the hypersensitive nerve endings of the skin, which are somewhat tactilely defensive to any type of stimuli. FES is particularly valuable in enhancing tendon excursion. This also has some benefit in overriding joint contractures. Fluidtherapy is a dry heat modality which has minute, solid particles which swirl about the hand when the unit is turned on.