What is Electric Therapy?
Electric therapy uses different types of currents and electromagnetic fields to treat diseases. It is one of the most used methods in physiotherapy. Normally, electrotherapy mainly includes direct current therapy, direct current drug iontophoresis therapy, low frequency electrotherapy, intermediate frequency electrotherapy, high frequency electrotherapy, and electrostatic therapy.
What’s the Effect of Electric Therapy?
Different types of current have different main physiological effects on human body. Direct current is with constant direction which can change the distribution of ions in the body and adjust body functions, it is often used for drug iontophoresis.
Low and medium frequency current stimulates neuromuscular to contract, reduces pain threshold, and relieve adhesion. It is often used in neuromuscular diseases, such as injury and inflammation.
High frequency current promotes circulation, eliminates inflammation and edema, stimulates tissues regeneration, and analgesia with its thermal effect on human body. It is commonly used to treat injury, inflammatory pain syndrome.
Electrostatic is mainly used to regulate central and autonomic nerve functions, and it is often used in neurosis, early hypertension, and menopausal syndrome.
Side Effects of Electric Therapy
Like other treatment methods, electric therapy has its specific side effects and complications. Common complications are headache, nausea, vomiting, and reversible memory loss. The rate of memory loss is relatively high, and studies have found that at least 1/3 of the patients have obvious memory decline after treatment. However, it is generally believed that the memory loss is limited and usually temporary. Clinically, these symptoms generally improve naturally.
In addition to the above side effects, modern electrotherapy has some other disadvantages. Firstly, the implementation of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is complex and a little bit risky, which requires general anesthesia and oxygen inhalation.
Secondly, because of the high requirements of ECT technology and equipment, the treatment cost is also high.
Moreover, ECT, like drug therapy, cannot be done once and for all, so that it is necessary to take maintenance treatment, otherwise many patients will relapse. Therefore, it is generally recommended to use drug therapy or infrequent electrotherapy as the subsequent maintenance treatment within 6 months after ECT.
Post time: Aug-04-2020