Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a complex of physical methods (electromagnetic radiation, current electricity, warmth, physical impact) which are used in the treatment of diseases and preventive care.
What is the effect of physiotherapy?
Physiotherapeutic methods have anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, anti-edemic effects. These methods stimulate tissue trophism, improves microcirculation. A number of medical physical factors may influence on the immune system and correct its imbalance.
Direct current therapy and impulse current therapy (galvanization, medical electrophoresis, amplipulse therapy, interferential current therapy) help to increase metabolism, accelerate conductibility of nerve fibres, improve regional circulation, help to resolve inflammations. They have a pain relieving effect, reduce sensibility of peripheral pain receptors, regulate the processes of activation of the central nervous system, improve trophic and neuromuscular function, improve venous return.
Color therapy has deallergize, anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, antiedematous a and antibacterial effects. It activates the function of reticuloendothelial system, improves immunologic activity of organism.
Magnetotherapy is a treatment method with the help of a complex and pulsed magnetic field. There are two types of magnetotherapy: local and general magnetotherapy. It has sedative, neuromyostimulating, asoactive, trophicoregenerative, vasohypotonic, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, antiedemic effects. There are local and general magnetotherapy.
Darsonvalization is applied on painful areas and reflexogenic zones. It improves regeneration, microcirculation, normalizes the tone of small and medium-sized arteries, it has pain-relieving and inflammatory effects. It reduces vegetal trophesy and tissue hypoxia.
Ultrasound therapy (ultrasound and phonophoresis of drugs) is applied on the areas of damaged joints and paravertebrally, which contributes to moderate dilation of the blood vessels, increases the blood circulation, restores permeability of nerve fibers, it has a pain-relieving, smasmolytic, anti-inflammatory effect.
Laser therapy (magneto-laser therapy, laserpuncture) has anti-inflammatory, densensitise effects, it stimulates the processes of hemocytogenesis, increases the blood circulation, microcirculation in tissues, increases metabolism and sustainability of cells, suppresses the activity of pathogenic microbial flora, it has a pain-relieving and trophic-regenerative effect.
Ultra high frequency therapy (microwave therapy) improves tissue trophism, fastens reparative processes, increases myo-specific resistance of human body, restores homeostasis, stimulates the processes of immunogenesis, hemocytogenesis. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.
Whom should be prescribed therapeutic procedures?
Indications for the treatment by physiotherapeutic procedures are quite different. Everything depends on the disease, its state, activity of the process, the extent of organ dysfunction. Physiotherapy is used at the diseases of nervous system, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, diseases of gastrointestinal tract, in gynecology, urology, proctology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology. Physiotherapeutic methods are used in the treatment of children and elderly people.
Are there any contraindications to physiotherapy?
There are some contraindications to physiotherapy: general (several) and specific ones. Thus, for example, magnetotherapy is contraindicative at hypotonia and hypocoagulation syndrome, electric therapy is contraindicative at heart rhythm disturbances).
What are the advantages of physiotherapy?
Physiotherapeutic methods have a few side effects. After physiotherapy allergy reactions occur quite rare. The procedures are safe (in case safety standards are observed) and quite comfortable for patients. Influencing on pathological conditions — pain, inflammation, dysfunction, and on the cause of the disease to some extent, physical factors help to improve patient’s condition, enhance the treatment effect.
Is it possible to have several physiotherapeutic procedures?
Only a highly qualified physiotherapist can draw up an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan with the application of physiotherapeutic methods, which are prescribed to a patient at his disease, condition and taking into account possible contraindications. The treatment plan can consist of several procedures conducted in one day, some procedures take place every other day. Sometimes a doctor prescribes a consistent application of several physiotherapeutic procedures using different kinds of treatment.