Intro to Phys. Agents Flashcards
Which level of the ICF model do physical agents have direct effects on?
Body functions and structures
What is a physical agent?
Various forms of energy and materials applied to patients to assist in their rehabilitation.
What are the 3 categories of Physical Agents?
Thermal, Mechanical, Electromagnetic
What is a thermal agent? and what types are there?
Transfer energy to produce an increase or decrease in tissue temperature. Superficial Heating, Deep Heating, Cooling
What are examples of thermal agents?
Hot pack, Diathermy, Laser, Ice pack, Ice massage
What is a mechanical agent?
Apply mechanical force to increase or decrease pressure in or on the body.
What are some types of mechanical agents?
Traction, Compression, Water, Sound
What are specific electromagnetic energy modalities?
- Shortwave Diathermy
- Microwave Diathermy
- Infrared Lamps
- Ultraviolet Therapy
- Low-power Laser
What are specific energy modalities?
- Thermotherapy
- Cryotherapy
What are specific electrical energy?
- Electrical Stimulating Currents
- Biofeedback
- Iontophoresis
What are specific sound energy modalities?
- Ultrasound
- Phonophoresis
- Extracorporeal Shockwave -Therapy
What are specific mechanical engr. modalities?
- Intermittent Compression
- Traction
- Massage
Effective agents to clean open wound in initial injury?
-Hydrotherapy
Effective agents to prevent further injury or bleeding in initial injury?
- Static compression
- Cryotherapy
Contraindicated agents for initial injury of tissue healing?
- Exercise
- Intermittent Traction
- Motor Level ES
- Thermotherapy
Effective agents to prevent or decrease joint stiffness in the chronic inflammation stage of tissue healing?
- Thermotherapy
- Motor ES
- Whirlpool
- Fluidotherapy
Effective agents to control pain in the chronic inflammation stage of tissue healing?
- Thermotherapy
- ES
- Laser
Effective agents to increase circulation in the chronic inflammation stage of tissue healing?
- Thermotherapy
- ES
- Compression
- Hydrotherapy
Effective agents to progress to the proliferation stage for the chronic inflammation stage of tissue healing?
- Pulsed US
- ES
- PSWD
Contraindicated agents for chronic inflammation stage of tissue healing?
*Cryotherapy
Effective agents to regain or maintain strength in the remodeling stage of tissue healing?
- Motor ES
* Aquatics
Effective agents to regain or maintain flexibility in the remodeling stage of tissue healing?
Thermotherapy
Effective agents to control scar tissue formation in the remodeling stage of tissue healing?
- Brief ice massage
* Compression
Contraindicated agents for remodeling stage of tissue healing?
immobilization
What are clinical examples of mechanical agents?
Traction (cervical,lumbar, table, waterbag, etc.), Game Ready, Hydrotherapy, Ultrasound, Phonophoresis
What is an electromagnetic agent?
Apply electromagnetic energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation or an electrical current.
What are some types of electromagnetic agents?
electromagnetic energy, electrical currents
How does electromagnetic energy work?
Vary the frequency and intensity to produce desired treatment effects.
How do electrical currents work?
Vary waveform, intensity, duration and direction of current flow to produce desired treatment effects.
What are some clinical examples of Electromagnetic Agents?
Premodulated e-stim, Interferential current, Russian (form of NMES)
What is radiation?
process by which electromagnetic energy travels from source.
What happens when a chemical or electrical force of sufficient intensity is applied?
radiant energy may be produced by the movement of photons.
What are the four properties of electromagnetic energy?
- They may be produced with the application of electrical or chemical forces that are of sufficient intensity.
- All forms of electromagnetic radiation travel through space at a constant velocity.
- Photons with longer wavelengths have lower frequencies.
- Photons with shorter wavelengths have higher frequencies.
History of physical agents.
Torpedo fish were used in 400 B.C. in Rome and Greece for electric shock. Bath houses, steam rooms, natural hot springs. Sunlight was used to treat TB, bone and joint diseases. Epsom salts were used for sore or swollen limbs.
Are physical agents considered Physical Therapy?
The use of physical agents/modalities, in the absence of other skilled therapeutic intervention, should not be considered physical therapy. According to APTA
The effects of physical agents are primarily at what level of the disablement model?
Cellular level of disablement
What is the definition of wavelength?
the distance between the peak of one wave and the peak of the preceding or succeeding wave.
What is the definition of frequency?
the number of waves per seconds
What is the equation for speed?
wavelength x frequency
if there is a long wavelength of the wave, will the frequency be high or low?
Low
The energy is (directly or indirectly) proportional to its frequency?
Directly
If the electromagnetic radiation has high frequency what will the energy be? (high or low)
High
What happens to a beam of sunlight that passes through a prism?
The rays are refracted and appear as a distinct band of color called a Spectrum.
What does it mean if a ray is reflected?
rays that rebound off the material
What does it mean if a ray is refracted?
a ray that passes from one material to another and changes its path
What does it mean if a ray is absorbed?
any photons that are not absorbed by the material will be transmitted to deeper layers
What does it mean if a ray is reflected?
rays passing through a material
The effects of chemical agents are particularly at what level?
Cellular Level
A well-built question should have which four components?
Patient or Population
Intervention
Comparison/ Intervention measure
Outcome
What is the difference between contraindications and precautions?
Contraindications: are conditions that render a particular form of treatment improper
Precautions: are conditions under which a form of treatment should be applied with special care and limitations
What are the phases of inflammation and healing?
Inflammation, Proliferation, Maturation
What is the inflammatory phase characterized by? When does it occur?
heat, swelling, pain, redness, and loss of function
Lasts 1-6 days
What physical agents used during the inflammatory phase assist in what?
reducing circulation, reducing pain, reducing enzyme activity rate and controlling motion
When does the proliferation phase begin?
3 days after the injury; can last up to 20 days
How long can the maturation phase last?
Up to 2 years
What are some possible contraindications or precautions?
Pregnancy Malignancy Pacemaker Impaired sensation Impaired mental status
Physical Agents assist by increasing circulation, increasing the enzyme activity rate, promoting collagen deposition during what phase of inflammation and healing?
Proliferation Phase
What phase does the new tissue remodel itself to resemble the original tissue as closely as possible to best serve its original function?
Maturation Phase
Frequency is defined as:
Wavers per second
Which has a higher energy in electron volts, microwaves or visible waves?
Visible
How does the electromagnetic spectrum apply to therapeutic modalities?
Different levels of radiation applied on tissue depend on the wavelength , frequency and energy to penetrate tissues.
What is the basic effect of heating the tissue in terms of the electromagnetic spectrum with therapeutic modalities?
It is the same thing as applied low-energy, low frequency, long-wavelength radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Clinically used for deep tissue temperature changes, increased vasodilation, increased blood flow.
Microwave diathermy
Clinically used for pain modulation and wound healing.
Laser (Visible Light)
Ultraviolet Light
UV light is invisible to the human eye, used to disinfect microorganisms including chlorine-resistant protozoa.
Arndt-Schultz Principle
No reactions or changes can occur in the body tissues if the amount of energy absorbed is insufficient to stimulate the absorbing tissues .
Law of Grotthus-Draper
Radiation produces action only through absorption of its energy by the substance affected.
Cosine Law
States that the smaller the angle between the propagating ray and the right angle, the less the radiation reflected and the greater the radiation absorbed.
Inverse Square Law
The intensity of the radiation striking a particular surface, thus is there is more distance there is less intensity.
Acoustic vibrations
The more dense the transmitting medium the greater the velocity of travel for acoustic energy.