Electrotherapy is the use of electrical energy as a treatment method. Electrotherapy uses a small electric current that passes to the affected area to relieve pain by suppressing or blocking the pain signals to the brain. Controlled and careful electric stimulation promotes release of endorphins, the natural pain killers produced by the body.
Types of Electrotherapy
At Vivacare, we use various types of modalities in electrotherapy. These vary in types of waveform, frequency and intensity of electric current produced. Some of the modalities used at our clinic are
- Trans-cutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
- Inferential therapy (IFT)
- Electric muscle stimulation (EMS)
- Ultrasonic therapy (UST)
Effects of Electrotherapy
Electrotherapy works in following ways
- Relaxation of muscle spasms
- Prevention and retardation of disuse atrophy
- Increase of local blood circulation, muscle rehabilitation and re-education by electrical muscle stimulation.
- Helps in tissue healing/repair
- Maintaining and increasing range of motion
- Management of chronic and intractable pain, post-traumatic acute pain, post-surgical acute pain
- Immediate post-surgical stimulation of muscles to prevent venous thrombosis, ease wound healing and drug delivery.
- Reduce swelling by stimulating the lymphatic system
Electrotherapy is normally not used in cases of
- Cardiac pacemaker
- Metallic implants
- Malignancy
- Pregnancy
- Open wound
- Localized infection
- Epilepsy
- Inconsistent skin sensations
- Wet dressing