Hot therapy is often used in the subacute or chronic stages of an injury when inflammation has decreased, but there is still stiffness or discomfort. It helps to relax muscles, improve flexibility, and increase blood flow to the area.
Heat is a vasodilator and can be used to introduce/re-introduce fresh blood flow into an affected area. Thereby bringing in oxygen, nutrients, and healing properties to that area.
Heat therapy with compression should be used daily by athletes to perform at their best and avoid injury!