Week 9: Physical Agent Modalities Flashcards
____ used to increase motion, decrease joint stiffness, relieve muscle spasms, increase blood flow, decrease pain, and aid in reabsorption of exudates and edema
Applying ____ before prolonged stretch (like dynamic splint), allows for permanent elongation of fibers (tissues must raise to 105-113 degrees).
Heat.
Thermal Modalities
Thermal Modalities?
Conduction
Convection
Conversion
Heat used to increase motion, decrease joint stiffness, relieve muscle spasms, increase blood flow, decrease pain, and aid in reabsorption of exudates and edema
Applying heat before prolonged stretch (like dynamic splint), allows for permanent elongation of fibers (tissues must raise to 105-113 degrees). Don’t use heat on acute inflammatory conditions of joints or skin, sensory loss, impaired vascular structures, malignancies, and on very young/old
It is transfer of heat from one object to another through direct contact like paraffin and hot packs
Conduction (hot packs, paraffin)
____ excellent adjunct to home programs like dynamic splinting, exercises, or general ADLs, can be used in clinic before therapeutic exercises
Paraffin placed in tub, place hands in it until thick layer of paraffin is applied, hand is then wrapped in plastic bag and towel for 10-20 mins (technique provides conforming characteristics, ideal for hands)
Should not be applied on severe edema, open wounds
Paraffin excellent adjunct to home programs like dynamic splinting, exercises, or general ADLs, can be used in clinic before therapeutic exercises
Used for myofascial pain, before soft-tissue mobilization, and before any activities aimed at elongating contracted tissue
Can be used (with precautions) when open wounds are present
Hot packs should be separated from skin by layers of towels
Supplies heat to tissues by fluid motion around tissues
Convection
- fluidotherapy
- whirlpool
____ involves machine that agitates finely ground cornhusk particles by blowing warm air through them- used for raising tissue temps in hands and feet
An extremity can be heated gradually, technique effective as warm-up before exercises, dexterity tasks, functional activities, and work simulation
fluidotherapy (convection)
____ used commonly for wound management than heat application
whirlpool (convection)
Occurs when heat is generated internally by friction (ex. By means of ultrasound). Sound waves penetrate tissues, causing vibrations, resulting friction generates heat
conversion (ultrasound, cyrotherapy)
_____ is deep heating agent (produce heat at 5cm compared to 1cm for convection)
Precautions must be taken to avoid destroying tissue, growth plates in bones of children, unprotected spinal cord, and freshly repaired structures
Good for treating problems with joint contractures, scarring, muscle spasms
When applying ____, OT should apply stretch to tissues while being heated, followed by activities, exercises, and splints to maintain stretch
ultrasound
ultrasound used in nonthermal application in which waves drive anti-inflammatory medications into tissues
Phonophoresis
use of cold therapy used in treatment of edema, pain, inflammation
Cold decreases muscle spasms by decreasing amount of firing from afferent muscle spindles
Should not use with clients who can’t tolerate cold or has vascular repairs
Can be used in clinic but mainly useful in home program
Common example is cold/ice packs, ice massage, cooling machines
Ice massage used when area to be cooled is small and very specific (ex. Inflamm. Of tendon at its insertion or origin) use large piece of ice and massaging area with circular motion until skin is numb
Cooling devices effective in reducing edema after surgery or injury
Contrast baths combine heat and cold - client asked to submerge arm for example, alternating between two tubs of cold (59-68 degrees) and hot (96-105) water. Increase collateral circulation, reducing pain and edema. Also used for home therapy
Cyrotherapy
Used to decrease pain, decrease edema, increase motion, and reeducate muscles. Should not be used with clients with pacemakers or cardiac conditions
Electrical Modalities
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stim
- Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
_____ uses electrical current to decrease pain which is classified in 3 categories: physical, physiologic, and psychological
After injury, individual responds by guarding painful body part by restricting motion or assume posture limiting pain. But this may result in muscle spasms and fatigue, supply of blood and O2 decrease and soft tissue and joint dysfunction occurs. OT goal after acute injury is to prevent this cycle
effective technique for control of pain without side effects of medications. Safe to use and clients can be educated in independent home use
provides constant electrical stimulation with modulated current and directed to peripheral nerves through electrode placement (OT can control frequency, amplitude, pulse width)
used postsurgically when it is mandatory that motion be initiated within 72 hours such as tenolysis and capsulotomy surgeries or when needed to maintain tendon gliding through injured area after fractures
Helpful with clients who have low pain tolerance since it makes exercising easier, useful for clients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy bc continued active motion is crucial
Can be used to decrease pain from inflammatory condition like tendonitis or nerve impingement, however, other methods to decrease pain should be used first before TENS is applied
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
Can be used to decrease pain from inflammatory condition like tendonitis or nerve impingement, however, other methods to decrease pain should be used first before ____ is applied
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
