Therapeutic modalities represent the application of thermal, mechanical, electromagnetic, and light energies for a specific therapeutic effect. For example, they can be used to decrease pain, reduce inflammation, help with tissue healing, reduce muscle spasms or improve muscle activation.
Some of the therapeutic modalities that your practitioner might use include:
o is a multidisciplinary device that uses acoustic waves which carry high energy to painful spots and musculoskeletal tissue. The energy promotes regeneration, and reparative processes of the bones, tendons and other soft tissues. Its main assets are fast pain relief and mobility restoration. Together with being a non-surgical therapy with no need for painkillers makes it an ideal therapy to speed up recovery and cure various indications causing acute or chronic pain
o transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a therapy that uses low voltage electrical current to provide pain relief. A TENS unit consists of a battery-
powered device that delivers electrical impulses through electrodes placed on the surface of your skin. The electrodes are placed at or near nerves where the pain is located or at trigger points. The electrical stimulation of the sensory nerves provides pain relief.
Therapeutic ultrasound is a treatment modality commonly used in physical therapy. It is used to provide deep heating to soft tissues in the body. These tissues include muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments. Deep heating increases circulation to those tissues, which is thought to help the healing process. Increasing tissue temperature with ultrasound is also used to help decrease pain.
o LLLT is a non-invasive light source treatment that generates a single wavelength of light. It emits no heat, sound, or vibration. It is also called photobiology or bio-stimulation. LLLT is believed to affect the function of connective tissue cells (fibroblasts), accelerate connective tissue repair and act as an anti-inflammatory agent. Lasers with different wavelengths, varying from 632 to 904 nm, are used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
