Laser ultrasound and electrical modalities
What is Electrotherapy?
Electrotherapy is used for relaxation of muscle spasms, increase of local blood circulation, muscle rehabilitation, and re-education by electrical muscle stimulation, maintaining and increasing range of motion, management of chronic and intractable pain, posttraumatic acute pain, post-surgical acute pain, immediate postsurgical stimulation of muscles to prevent venous thrombosis and wound healing.
Therapeutic effects of electrotherapy?
Electrotherapy has managed to form a very important part of physiotherapy management due to following therapeutic effects:
Reduce nerve pain.
Promote healing of musculoskeletal injuries.
Have a non-invasive, drug-free pain control.
Prevent muscle atrophy.
Increase circulation for wound repair by enhancing recovery faster due to increased stimulation and better circulation.
Non-invasive but precise and targeted treatment on the affected area.
Re-education of muscles using targeted stimulation.
Prevention of deep vein thrombosis post-surgery.
LASER:
A laser is a device that produces monochromatic, collimated and coherent light. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is used by physiotherapists to treat various musculoskeletal conditions like joint arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis etc. LLLT is a non-invasive light source treatment that generates a single wavelength of light which emits no heat, sound, or vibration. The effects of the LLLT which are significant for physiotherapy, and makes this tool useful to enhance other treatments as therapeutic exercise, are:
Reduction of inflammation
Pain relief
Accelerated tissue regeneration
TENS:
TENS is a method of electrical stimulation which primarily aims to provide a degree of symptomatic pain relief by exciting sensory nerves and thereby stimulating either the pain gate mechanism and/or the opioid system.
IFC:
Interferential Current -IFT is majorly used in musculoskeletal or other physiological conditions which causes inflammation, muscle spasms, nerve irritation, edema, swelling etc.
ULTRA-SOUND:
Ultrasound is an effective way to treat swelling of muscles, joints, and ligaments. The heating effect of the ultrasound helps to heal muscle pain and reduces chronic inflammation. Ultrasound also helps tissue fluids flow better — which means that more lymph passes through the tissues. Lymph is an important fluid that transports white blood cells throughout the body. So, in this way, ultrasound helps your damaged cells fight infections and heal faster.