Anyone who has had an X-ray, used a heart rate monitor, or had an MRI scan is familiar with the use of electronic medical devices for diagnostic purposes. Less familiar though, may be the use of electronic medical devices for treatment purposes.
One of the most common therapeutic applications of electronic medical devices is pain relief. These electrotherapy devices are accepted as a viable alternative to pharmaceutical methods for pain relief and are routinely used both at home and in hopitals by physiotherapists and other medical professionals.
Electrotherapy has several inherent advantages over drug and surgical treatments for pain relief, these being:
Drug free - electrotherapy treatments avoid undesirable drug side-effects, and problems associated with harmful interactions between drugs.
Non-invasive - electrotherapy treatments are non-invasive.
Non-addictive - electrotherapy treatments are non-addictive.
Perhaps the most well-known electrotherapy technology, TENS is widely used to treat pain conditions. Pain relief with TENS is thought to be achieved via a "gate control" mechanism that results from the stimulation of peripheral nerves.
TENS is currently popular in the UK and worldwide.
This type of stimulation is characterized by the crossing of two electrical medium, independent frequencies that work together to effectively stimulate large impulse fibers. These frequencies interfere with the transmission of pain messages at the spinal cord level. Because of the frequency, the Interferential wave meets low impedance when crossing the skin to enter the underlying tissue. This deep tissue penetration can be adjusted to stimulate parasympathetic nerve fibers for increased blood flow. Interferential Stimulation differs from TENS because it allows a deeper penetration of the tissue with more comfort (compliance) and increased circulation.
Pulsed Shortwave Diathermy treatments involve the exposure of parts of the body to high-frequency pulsed electromagnetic radiation. PSWD is commonly used by therapists to help absorption of heamatomas and reduce inflammation.
Micro-current therapy employs very low-level "direct" (DC) electrical currents which are similar in strength to the bodies natural electrical signals. Micro-current is said to aid the healing process and help reduce inflammation
Ultrasound is a treatment modality used by physical therapists that utilize high or low frequency sound waves. These sound waves are transmitted to the surrounding tissue and vasculature. They penetrate the muscles to cause deep tissue/muscle warming. This promotes tissue relaxation and therefore is useful in treating muscle tightness and spasms. The warming effect of the sound waves also causes vessel vasodilatation and increased circulation to the area that assists in healing. The physical therapist can also adjust the frequency on the machine to use waves that will decrease inflammation.
Optimising soft tissue repair and providing pain relief, laser therapy is a well-used modality for those disciplines focused on physical therapy. Both acute and chronic conditions can be treated successfully. As always, accurate diagnosis is important to ensure identification of the most appropriate treatment protocols. The principles of setting wavelengths, energy density, pulsing rates and frequency of treatment are straightforward once the condition and objective is understood. Low Level Laser can work synergistically with manipulation and has fewer contraindications than ultrasound therapy - with Low Level Laser Therapy the clinician can treat over plates, pins and patients with pacemakers. Healed tissue which has been treated with laser has been shown to have improved quality and tensile strength, thus minimising adhesions and scarring. Even pre-existing scar tissue has shown improvement after laser treatment.
Therapeutic lasers are also effectively used on trigger points in musculoskeletal treatments and can provide drug-free pain relief, being of particular aid in the treatment of arthritic conditions and neuralgic pain.