Electrotherapy is a treatment that uses various types of healing currents, either constant or alternating, of different frequency. Their effectiveness, confirmed by many years of experience, makes doctors willingly recommend them as one of the basic therapies in alleviating or combating many ailments.
What is electrotherapy (electrotherapy)? Electric treatment is an area of physical therapy. During the procedures, electrodes are applied to the appropriate places on the patient's body through which the current is passed. One treatment usually lasts several or several minutes, and is usually performed every day for five or 10 days. You don't have to wait long for the effects, the currents relieve pain, reduce muscle tension, improve blood supply, accelerate tissue regeneration, and improve swelling absorption.
Electrotherapy: indications
Electrotherapy treatments bring the desired results in the case of many diseases. The indications are:
- states of chronic or acute pain in the spine
- all kinds of discopathies
- neuralgia
- osteoarthritis
- rheumatic diseases
- muscular dystrophies
- post-traumatic musculoskeletal conditions, e.g. after fractures, as well as those with swelling
- soft tissue inflammation
- sciatica
- headaches
- migraines
- pains accompanying osteoporosis.
Electrotherapy: contraindications
Electrotherapy treatments cannot be performed with implanted electronic devices (e.g. pacemakers), metal components or implants (e.g. endoprostheses, if electricity were to flow through this site). Contraindications are also neoplasms, susceptibility to blood clots (e.g. thrombophlebitis) and congestion, sensory disturbances, pregnancy (if the procedure is performed around the abdomen or lower spine), general infections with high fever. Acute inflammation of the skin or tissues is also a contraindication, especially in places where electrodes are applied.
Electrotherapy: types of treatments
The electrotherapy consists of several types of treatments with the use of direct or variable currents of various frequencies:
- Iontophoresis is that with the help of direct currentthe medicine is applied to the patient exactly in the affected area. The treatment is used in the case of neuralgia, neuralgia, rheumatic diseases and inflammations.
- Electroplating involves the application of a low-frequency DC current that affects the nerve tissues and muscle structures. The treatment is used in the treatment of all kinds of discopathy, neuralgia, inflammation of the nerves, muscle overload and tension, and osteoarthritis.
- Electrostimulation is a procedure that uses a constant impulse current to cause muscle contraction to stimulate them, lead to better blood supply and reduce their tension. Electrostimulation brings good results in the case of movement disorders, e.g. paresis or paralysis, and diseases of the nervous system.
- TENS currents are a procedure involving the use of low-frequency impulse currents. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and gives great results in the case of pain in the spine, joints and muscles, related to torticollis or rheumatism.
- Diadynamic currents reduce muscle tension, increase blood circulation, and accelerate the absorption of post-traumatic hematomas. The indications are: backache, osteoarthritis, rheumatic diseases, all kinds of discopathies, neuralgia, muscular dystrophies, but also post-traumatic conditions of the musculoskeletal system, also with edema.
- Interference currents (Nemec currents) primarily relieve pain, affect the nervous system, improve blood circulation, nourish tissues, and stimulate muscles to contract. The indications are: disruptions in the functioning of the muscles, e.g. muscle weakness, injuries of the limbs, rheumatism of soft tissues.
- Kotz currents (Russian stimulation) cause contractions of deeper muscle fibers, thanks to which they are used in the case of scoliosis, muscle weakness, e.g. after fractures, flat feet.
- Träbert's currents are unidirectional, pulsed. The indications include degenerative changes in the joints, pain in the spine and muscles, neuralgia, peripheral circulation disorders, including limb ischemic syndromes, but also post-traumatic conditions of the musculoskeletal system.