Physical Therapy Modalities

Muscle Stimulation
This type of therapy uses light electrical pulses that are transmitted to specific areas of the body through electrodes placed on the skin. There are many different types of electrical stimulation. Some are more beneficial for pain relief or to reduce inflammation, some for muscle spasm, and some actually cause muscles to contract in order to reduce muscle atrophy. Some have combination effects.

TENS
A TENS (transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation) unit is a small, battery-powered, portable muscle stimulation machine that can be used at home to help control pain. Variable intensities of electric current are used to control pain. This treatment is recommended to help patients get through periods of severe (acute) pain. TENS units are typically not recommended for chronic pain.

Ultrasound
Therapeutic ultrasound is a form of deep heat therapy created by sound waves. When applied to soft tissues and joints, the sound waves are a form of micro-massage that help reduce swelling, increase blood flow, and decrease pain, stiffness, and spasms.

Ice and Heat Therapy
Ice and heat have long been used to treat many painful conditions. Ice therapy is often used to reduce swelling and help control pain immediately after an injury. Heat therapy is used to relax the muscles and increase circulation and can provide relief to patients with chronic pain. Depending on the patient's condition, a combination of ice and heat can be used.

Laser Therapy

Laser Light Therapy is a physical modality that emits photons (light) in very specific regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Laser Light Therapy is the most researched and published modality in physical rehabilitation and has demonstrated a multitude of clinical benefits that include relieving pain from minor muscular and joint aches, pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, relaxing muscle spasms and increasing local blood circulation. There is significant confusion about the terminology related to Laser Light Therapy. The most commonly confused terms are light sources as they relate to wavelength and power delivered (e.g. Low Level Laser Therapy - LLLT, Super Luminous Diodes - SLD, and Light Emitting Diodes - LED). All of these light sources can be administered therapeutically, but a main difference is the depth of penetration into the body's tissue.

Reported Benefits of Laser Therapy

• Rapid cell growth. Laser accelerates cellular reproduction and growth.
• Faster wound healing. Laser stimulates fibroblast development in damaged tissue. The reduction in recovery time is an important consideration.
• Increased metabolic activity. Higher outputs of specific enzymes, greater oxygen and food particle loads on blood cells, more effective immune responses are induced by laser light.
• Reduced fibrous tissue formation. Laser reduces the formation of scar tissue following tissue damage from cuts, scratches, burns, or following surgery.
• Anti-inflammatory action. Laser reduces swelling caused by bruising or inflammation of joints to give improved joint mobility.
• Increased vascular activity. Laser stimulates lymph and blood circulation, to allow the affected tissue to have the best possible circulation.
• Stimulated nerve function. Slow recovery of nerve function in damaged tissue can result in "dead" limbs or numb areas. Laser will speed the process of nerve cell reconnection to bring the numb areas back to life
• Laser also increases the amplitude of action potentials to optimize muscle action.