Electrotherapy involves the use of a variety of different devices that deliver electrical impulses to the body via electrodes attached to the patient’s skin for purposes related to injury treatment and rehabilitation. Considered a therapeutic modality for rehabilitation intervention, electrotherapy devices are used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and chiropractors to treat patients to accomplish the following:
- Reduction of pain in those suffering from chronic, post-surgical, and post-traumatic injury
- Increase local or targeted blood circulation to injured tissues delivering oxygen and nutrients to promote healing
- Help relax spasming muscles and the tension this can place on nerves and tissues as well as to enhance joint range of motion for functional improvements
- Prevention or minimization of muscle atrophy and wasting from disuse
- Re-education of muscles that have been hypokinetic and need targeted stimulation to contract
- Targeted administration of certain medications transcutaneous (Iontophoresis) and into the blood stream or tissue for increased effectiveness
- Synthesis of enzymes involved in tissue repair
The following are different types of electrotherapy devices:
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): Used to manage acute and chronic pain.
- Neuromuscular Electrical Nerve Stimulation (NMES/EMS): Used to manage pain, promote healing, and re-educate muscles toward return to function.
- Short Wave Diathermy: Used to treat inflammatory conditions and reduce swelling, modulate pain, promote enhanced localized circulation and vasodilation towards increased compliance of connective tissue for greater joint mobility.
- Laser Light Therapy: Used to heal injured tissues through the use of light-emitting diodes exerting their effect on chromophores to convert light energy to produce more cellular ATP and the energy to synthesize enzymes, DNA, RNA and other materials for tissue repair.
- Iontophoresis: Used to administer certain medications through the skin to treat superficial tissue inflammatory conditions, relax muscle spasms and modulate pain.
ProHealthcareProducts.com carries TENS devices manufactured by leading healthcare suppliers, including Roscoe Medical, Baseline products, Drive Medical, Mettler, and others.
For help finding specific electrotherapy supplies to meet your clinic's needs, please contact our customer service team.