Their therapeutic action is divided into irritant and depressant, depending on their frequency. In the body, LFCs affect electrically excitable structures – nerves and muscles. This process is realized by a change in the charge on both sides in their electroexcitable membrane. Some currents are used for stimulation of muscles with preserved innervation, others for those with impaired innervation. The second main application is for pain relief, with or without the addition of pain medication.
Therapeutic action of low-frequency currents: for electrostimulation , anti-inflammatory, analgesic, trophic, antispastic, excitomotor, spreading, vasodilating, etc.
Therapeutic action – Interferential currents /IFC/ are widely used because of their good tolerance, penetration and ability to work with higher intensities. In contrast to low frequency currents, less penetration, irritation and pain are avoided here, at low current strength. IFC has deep penetration, analgesic, spreading action, stimulating musculature, improving peripheral circulation, etc.
Therapeutic effect of medium-frequency currents: they stimulate the musculature, analgesic, improve blood circulation, tissue metabolism and the release of bioactive compounds /acetylcholine, histamine/, which creates conditions for antitussive, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, stimulates bone healing, reduces the tone of spastic muscles, etc.
Therapeutic action: shortwave therapy is a method of treatment with high frequency and voltage currents. The high-frequency field generates eddy currents in the treated tissues that lead to molecular excitations and convert electrical energy into thermal energy directly in the tissues. In shortwave diathermy, electromagnetic energy with a frequency of 27.12MHz is applied to treat various conditions. It generates deep heat, with pain relieving effect, muscle and joint relaxation, etc.
Therapeutic action of UHF are based on the created, deep, endogenous heat, without affecting the ion-dynamic processes in the nerve membrane, do not irritate the motor and sensory nerves, have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, trophic, antispastic, etc. actions.
Therapeutic action: Microwave therapy is a method of treatment with an electromagnetic field of ultra-high frequency. In medical practice, microwave energy with a wavelength of 100 to 1 cm and a frequency of 300 to 30 000 MHz is used. In MV therapy, electrical energy is converted to thermal energy in the tissues for the treatment of skeletal diseases and inflammation.
Healing action of MV is based on their thermal and specific effect: they create endogenous heat, selective hyperemia, trophic and antispastic action, anti-inflammatory and analgesic action, etc.
Ultrasonophoresis /UST/
Therapeutic action: ultrasonic waves are mechanical, wave propagating oscillatory movements of the material medium with a frequency of 20 000 Hz-20MHz. Ultrasound/US/ devices are based on the principle of the reverse piezoelectric effect. The therapeutic action of ultrasound is due to its biophysical effects: thermal-absorption of ultrasound acoustic energy by tissues and its conversion into heat, cavitation-cavities, so-called cavitation bubbles, thixotropic-resolving, chemical effect.
Therapeutic action of UST – Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, trophic, immunostimulant, hyperemic, fibrinolytic, resorptive, etc.
