Electrical Stimulation Terminology Flashcards
Who was the person that experimented with face muscles using electrical stimulation?
Guillaume de Boulogne
What are some of the physiological effects of electrical stim?
- decrease pain
- decrease muscle spasm
- reduce edema
- stim exercise
- stim healing
What is required to transmit electricity?
- source of electrons
- driving force (electron imbalance)
- path (conductor)
With what type of conductor do you have the least resistance?
short, smooth, large diameter
What is capacitance?
ability of a material to store a charge
What is Ohm’s Law?
V=I*R
R=V/I
I=V/R
What are the two types of current?
- monophasic
- biphasic
What is monophasic current?
- flow in one direction
- Direct Current
- either always + or always -
- charge builds up in tissue
What is another term for monophasic current?
Galvanic current
What is biphasic current?
- alternating current
- flow of e- changes direction regularly
What are the wave forms in biphasic current?
- symmetrical: same shape in both phases
- asymmetrical: different positive and negative
What are the net charges in biphasic current?
- balance: equal charge in both phases
- unbalanced: unequal charge
What are the shapes in biphasic current?
- sinusoidal
- square
- rectangular
- triangular
What is phase duration?
the time it takes current to leave the isoelectric line to when it returns to this line
How many phase durations are there in a biphasic current?
two phase durations for each pulse
What do tissues respond to?
phase duration
==>not pulse duration
What is amplitude?
intensity or magnitude of the current
What is peak current?
maximum amplitude of the current regardless of duration
What type of fiber has a lower threshold?
alpha-beta fibers are closer to the skin and stimulated first
What is average current?
amount of current supplied over a period of time
What is strength duration curve?
describes the relationship between amplitude of the electrical current and duration
How do you alter phase charge?
change phase duration and amplitude
What are the type of fibers and their corresponding sensation?
- A-beta: tingling
- A-alpha: vibration
- A-delta: some discomfort
- C fibers: pain
- muscle tissue: extreme pain
What is rheobase?
minimum amplitude needed to depolarize a nerve fiber when phase duration is infinite
