Contents
Electrotherapy is one of the large sections of physiotherapy, which is used for the treatment, prevention and recovery from illness. Electrotherapeutic methods are performed using electric currents and fields, which are produced by special electrotherapy devices.
In the electrotherapy section, several areas are distinguished, each of which has its own indications and contraindications and can be used as an independent type of physiotherapy procedures.
Types of procedures and their application
Electrical methods of apparatus treatment include low-frequency (galvanization), high-frequency (darsonvalization), fluctuation, pulsed electrotherapy (diadynamic therapy), electrical stimulation, electrophoresis, electrosleep, amplipulse therapy.
Low frequency electrotherapy
Galvanization is the effect on pain points with a direct current of small force (up to 50 mA) and low voltage (up to 80 V). Under the influence of such a current in the tissues, the ratio of potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium ions inside and outside the cell membrane changes. The current value during the procedure is selected depending on the place where the electrodes are applied: on the nasal mucosa – 2-3 mA, on the skin of the face – 3-5 mA.
The ion concentration gradient has anti-inflammatory, draining, dehydrating, vasodilating, secretory and analgesic effects on tissues.
Indications for use: eye diseases, high or low blood pressure, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, colitis, hepatitis), nervous diseases (neuritis, plexitis, sciatica, neuralgia), autonomic disorders, sleep disorders, dermatitis and other skin diseases, inflammation of the pelvic organs. The method is also used in cosmetology.
Contraindications to galvanization include: generalized and local purulent processes, skin hypersensitivity, inflammatory skin diseases at the site of electrode application.
Method of diadynamic therapy
Diadynamic therapy is the effect on tissues with diadynamic currents with an amplitude of 2-20 mA. The procedure has myostimulating, neurostimulating, analgesic, regenerating, improving blood circulation effects. For diadynamic therapy, 5 main types of currents and two of their wave modulations are used. So that the tissues do not get used to the electrical impact, at each session, the impulses alternate and change their combinations.
Diadynamic therapy is prescribed for injuries, sprains, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis, vascular diseases (inflammation of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis), gynecological pathologies, neurological diseases (radiculitis, neuritis, spinal cord injuries), inflammation of the digestive organs (cholecystitis, colitis, pancreatitis), adhesive illness.
The procedure is contraindicated for unhealed fractures, kidney stones and gallbladder, acute pain, multiple sclerosis.
Electrical stimulation method
The method of electrical stimulation is based on the impact of pulsed currents on muscle tissue and skin areas on which internal organs are projected. The currents eliminate muscle weakness, improve metabolic processes, accelerate regeneration and excite the nerve endings in the muscles. The form of impulse currents, their strength, frequency and amplitude is regulated during the procedure itself. The signal of the adequacy of the impact is the appearance of moderately painful rhythmic muscle contractions. For example, for the muscles of the face, the current strength is set to 3-5 mA, for the muscles of the legs – 10-15 mA.
Indications for electrical stimulation are atonic paralysis, paresis of skeletal muscles, muscle atrophy after injuries and prolonged immobilization, atony of smooth muscle muscles of internal organs, poliomyelitis, plexitis, neuritis, radiculitis, radicular syndromes, enuresis.
The method is contraindicated in purulent processes, spastic paralysis and paresis, pathological muscle spasms, contractures and ankylosis of the joints, bone fractures before their fusion, varicose veins, hemorrhagic stroke.
Electrophoresis procedure
The use of low frequency electric current to improve the penetration of drugs through intact skin is called electrophoresis. It is a combination of galvanization and topical drug treatment. With the help of currents, blood circulation in the subcutaneous tissue and muscles improves, due to which the drugs penetrate deep into the tissues.
Method of fluctuation
The method of fluctuation therapy is similar to diadynamic and amplipulse therapy. It uses sinusoidal pulse currents of low frequency (40-2000 Hz) and intensity (1-40 mA). The application of the technique does not allow the skin to get used to the electrical action, since fluctuation currents have special characteristics – asynchrony, randomness, aperiodicity.
Fluctuorization provides a pronounced analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and myostimulating effect. Fluctuating currents facilitate the penetration of drugs deep into tissues (fluctuophoresis).
Indications for the procedure include:
- dental inflammatory pathologies (periodontitis, alveolitis, pain after filling, arthrosis-arthritis of the lower jaw joint);
- neuritis and neuralgia of the cranial nerves;
- back pain associated with neuralgia (lumbalgia, thoracalgia, cervicalgia);
- exacerbation of deforming arthrosis;
- chronic adnexitis in women.
The procedure is contraindicated in patients with metal objects in the body, pacemakers, a tendency to bleeding or thrombosis, decompensated diseases of the circulatory system and kidneys.
Electrosleep treatment
The influence of pulsed currents of low frequency (5-160 imp. / sec.) on the hypnogenic structures of the brain is called electrosleep. The current strength should not exceed 10 mA. Electrosleep has a sedative, hypnotic, antispasmodic, anticonvulsant and sedative effect.
It is used for insomnia, neurasthenia, psychogenic enuresis, bronchial asthma and asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases (angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension), skin diseases (eczema, neurodermatitis), stomach ulcers.
The method is contraindicated in severe heart defects, epilepsy, current intolerance, inflammation of the eyes.
Amplipulse therapy procedure
The method of amplipulse therapy is based on the use of modulated (alternating and constant) sinusoidal currents with a frequency of 5 kHz and an amplitude of up to 50 mA. These currents have anti-inflammatory, neuromyostimulating, vasodilating and regenerating effects.
Indications for its use are:
- diseases of the peripheral nervous system (neuralgia, lumbago, radiculitis);
- arterial hypertension;
- bronchitis, bronchial asthma;
- arthritis, arthrosis;
- inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and small pelvis;
- enuresis.
The procedure is contraindicated in acute inflammation of internal organs, non-immobilized fractures, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis.
Interference therapy method
Similar properties to amplipulse therapy are sinusoidal alternating (interference) currents of sound frequency, which are used for interference therapy. These currents are created due to the superimposition of two or more currents of the same amplitude and close frequency.
The procedure improves lymph flow and microcirculation in tissues, increases the tone of skeletal muscles and smooth muscles of the walls of medium and large vessels, and has a massage and analgesic effect. As a result of these actions, regenerative processes in tissues are accelerated, their swelling decreases.
Interference therapy indicated for:
- neurological diseases and pathologies of the peripheral nervous system (neuralgia, myelopathy, Raynaud’s and Bechterew’s diseases, ganglionervitis, neuritis, vibration disease, polyneuropathies, phantom pains, after head and neck injuries);
- pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, arthrosis, torn ligaments, contractures, after fractures and bruises);
- diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, colitis, dyskinesia of the bile ducts);
- diseases of the circulatory system (arterial hypertension, venous insufficiency);
- inflammatory diseases of the female internal genital organs;
- skin diseases.
The procedure is prohibited if the patient has general contraindications.
General contraindications
Despite the many positive effects of electrotherapeutic methods of treatment, they still have a number of common contraindications. These include:
- acute mental illness, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease;
- malignant and benign neoplasms;
- acute infections (viral, bacterial, fungal), tuberculosis with bacterial excretion;
- malformations and ischemia of the heart, the presence of a pacemaker, cardiovascular insufficiency in the stage of decompensation, severe and malignant arterial hypertension;
- bleeding, thrombosis;
- state of alcoholic or drug intoxication;
- the period of bearing a child;
- idiosyncrasy;
- urolithiasis or cholelithiasis;
- febrile and acute surgical conditions, attacks of renal colic.
Skin inflammatory diseases are a contraindication for the application of electrodes at the site of inflammation.
Kinds of devices
For electrotherapy, low-frequency currents and medium-frequency currents are used more often. For certain types of electrotherapy, mono-devices are used:
- For galvanization and medicinal electrophoresis. One of the galvanic monodevices is the Potok device.
- For diadynamic therapy. The Tonus apparatus is considered a classic diadynamic device.
- For amplipulse therapy. The most famous devices for creating sinusoidal currents are “Amplipulse” and “Radius”.
Modern devices are usually universal (complex), which, to one degree or another, combine different types of electrical physiotherapeutic effects in one body. Some devices can generate up to 40 different forms of current.
Additional (consumable) items and materials are attached to physiotherapy devices: electrodes, gaskets, cables, stands.
Appliance manufacturers
Electrotherapy devices in Europe are manufactured by three competing companies that produce devices and materials for medical purposes: the Dutch company Enraf Nonius (devices Sonoplus, Endomed, Curaplus, Radarmed, Vacotron, En-Stim, Myomed), the German company Phyziomed (devices Physiomed, Physiodin, Physioson, Ionoson, Limfavizhin, VokaSteam) and the Czech-English company BTL (devices BTL Puls, Sono, Vac).
Electrotherapeutic devices are also produced in Russia (Amplipulse-7 and 8), Belarus (Radius-01), Ukraine (Potok-01M).
Devices Amplipulse
The Russian instrument-making plant Izmeritel currently produces three types of devices for electrotherapy of the Amplipulse type – Amplipulse-7, 7M and 8.
The Amplipulse-7 device is a multifunctional device for generating sinusoidal currents in alternating and unipolar modes. Amplipulse-7M differs from its predecessor in its compact size. The Amplipulse-8 device is an advanced electrotherapy device with a 4-channel output.
All these devices are easy to use both in medical institutions and beauty salons, as well as at home. You can buy these devices in medical equipment stores and online stores at a price much lower than that of European manufacturers.
Apparatus Radius-01
Radius-01 devices are produced in several modifications depending on the currents they generate: Radius-01, Radius-01 FT, Radius-01 Inter, Radius-01 Inter SM.
The basic equipment of the Radius-01 device generates low-frequency currents, therefore it is used for galvanization procedures and drug electrophoresis, amplipulse therapy, diadynamic therapy.
Modification Radius-01 Inter SM is the most advanced and is intended for treatment with currents of low (one channel) and medium frequency (two channels). Due to the ability to generate many types of currents, the device is used for galvanization (electrophoresis), diadynamic therapy, amplipulse therapy, electrical stimulation, fluctuorization, interference therapy and electrosleep.
Before starting a course of electrotherapy, the patient should be fully examined in order to identify possible contraindications for the procedures. Electrotherapy should not be perceived by the patient as the main treatment method: it is effective only as part of the complex therapy of the disease.