What is Hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia is a non-invasive, non-toxic treatment which induces a controlled feverish state in the body with temperatures ranging up to 40 degrees celsius.
Knowledge of the benefits of heat treatments date back thousands of years to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, as well as ancient civilizations in India, China and Scandinavia.
This treatment raises the body temperature like a fever. This helps chemotherapy work better and modulates the immune system, improving performance of both.
Our practice uses the latest whole body hyperthermia machine from Heckel in Germany. The new heckel-HT3000 is a joint development of Heckel Medizintechnik GmbH and Hydrosun Medizintechnik GmbH who have established a strategic partnership in the field of whole-body hyperthermia.
In-depth specialized knowledge in the fields of technology and (clinical) research on water-filtered infrared-A-radiation (Hydrosun) is combined with many years of technical and clinical know-how in whole-body hyperthermia (Heckel).
- This Machine is the evolution of designs developed since 1986 by the late Dr Martin Heckel and now used widely in 15 countries around the world such a UK, Germany, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Chine, Korea and Turkey.
- This machine uses water filtered infra-red A spectrum light to heat the body without harming the skin using the most efficient wavelength of light for warming without burning. During this therapy, patients are sometimes given medicines to make them calm and sleepy.
Dr Craig Thompson says:
"Previously many patients have attended clinics in Germany, Malaysia and Thailand for hyperthermia and complimentary therapy.
Gold Coast Hyperthermia was established in order to improve availability, affordability and accessibility for patients in Australia.
At an international conference in Germany the consensus opinion was that more frequent moderate hyperthermia (39-40˚C) is more effective treatment than isolated episodes of extreme hyperthermia therapy(> 40˚C) for immune modulation.
This has been borne out in by experience with patients having had these treatments.
The rationale for extreme whole body hyperthermia under prolonged general anaesthetic seems flawed, with perhaps unwarranted physiological stressors and risks on already compromised patients.
The cellular production of heat shock proteins under hyperthermia commences at around 38.5˚C and the immune boosting effects are optimal at temperatures under 40˚C."
What does it do?
Whole Body Hyperthermia
On a cellular level the feverish state stimulates release of heat-shock proteins, boosting the body’s immune defence.
This fact has been known since ancient times, but now with controlled whole body hyperthermia treatment we use advanced state-of-the-art technology which can artificially create this desired immune system boost without having the patient feel unwell from injecting toxins.
This use of the body’s natural mechanism to reclaim and enhance a healthy state can be applied to aid recovery or treatment of a number of conditions.
It is particularly advantageous for patients suffering from chronic conditions or malignant processes.
Benefits of Hyperthermia
- Enhances immune response
- Decreases inflammation
- Decreases pain
- Enhances IV therapy
- An adjunct treatment to chemotherapy and radiation
- Stimulates self-healing
- Increases blood flow, doubling perfusion in tumours
- Enhances the delivery of medications
- Increases oxygen to the tumour making radiation more effective
- Effective in aiding apoptosis (natural cell death cycle)
- Promotes repair and regenerative processes in each individual cell