Therapeutic Modalities

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Therapeutic Modalities

• Chapter 15

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Using Modalities

• Used as an adjunct to rehabilitation and exercise
• Legal regulations vary by state
• Classification
• Electromagnetic
• Cryotherapy, thermotherapy, e-stim, diathermy,
  and laser
• Microwave diathermy, UV light, and magnet
• Acoustic
• ultrasound
• Mechanical
• Traction, intermittent compression, massage

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Thermotherapy

• Heat absorbed and spread between tissues
• Transfer
• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation
• conversion
• Superficial tissue poor conductor
• Moist heat better than dry

• Increase collage extensibility
• Decrease joint stiffness
• Reduce pain
• Relieve spasm
• Reduce inflammation
• Assists healing
• Should not exceed 116? and 30 minutes

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Examples of thermotherapy
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Cryotherapy

• Temperature can reach 4cm
• Muscle is good conductor
• Fat is an insulator
• Secondary hypoxic injury
• Cold does not remove old swelling
• Decreases guarding and pain
• Decreases muscle fatigue and increases contraction

• Ice massage
• Immersion
• Bags
• Vapocoolant sprays
• cryokinetics

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Electrical Stimulation

• Current measured in Amperes
• Resistance measured in ohms
• Force that moves current is voltage
• 0-150V is low
• 150-500V is high
• Intensity varies directly with volts and
  inversely with resistance
• Type of current
• Monophasic (DC)
• Biphasic (AC)
• Pulstatile (IFC and Russian)

• Current parameters
• Waveforms shape, direction, amplitude
• Modulation continuous, iterrupted, surged
• Intensity voltage of output
• Duration pulse width or duration
• Frequency pulses per second
• Polarity direction of flow
• Electrode set-up 2 active vs. 1 active and 1
  dispersal
• Iontophoresis
• Interferential current
• Low intensity EMS

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Other Modalities

• Ultrasound
• Use of sound waves
• Greatest heat generated between bone and its soft
  tissue
• Oscillations per second Hertz
• 1MHz is deep
• 3MHz is shallow
• Transducer must move
• Can be continuous or pulsed
• Phonophoresis transport medications via
  ultrasound

• Shortwave diathermy
• Laser therapy
• Traction
• Intermittent compression
• Massage
• Magnet therapy
• Extracorporeal shock wave therapy

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