Electrotherapy means the application of physical agents for treatment purposes. It has been a major component of physiotherapy practice since the early days. As with every field, electrotherapy has also undergone remarkable change over time and is continuing to do so. Though the modalities used these days are quite dissimilar to those of the early days but are based on the same principles.
The application of electrotherapy needs to be more evidence-based i.e. used at the right place, at the right time for the right reason. This makes electrotherapy more effective. The matter of concern is if a physiotherapist uses the electrotherapy modality unwisely, it will either do no good at all or possibly make matters worse – which is true for any other professional.
The physiotherapist should use his knowledge to judge the use of the best possible modality to treat a condition and use the best possible evidence that supports his decision. There are few pieces of evidence supporting the use of single modality as the most effective treatment, while when used in combination with other physical agents, have strong evidence of effectively treating any condition.
A simple clinical decision-making model while applying a modality or modalities (shown in the diagram) should be utilized. All modalities introduce some physical energy into the human body. This energy brings about one or more physiological changes. This physiological change brings about the desired therapeutic effect of any electrotherapy treatment. A physiotherapist may think the other way round as well.
The most important aspect of electrotherapy treatment is the selection of an appropriate dosage of a modality. If a lesser dose is delivered into the body of a patient, the desired physiological changes may not happen, as a result, the therapeutic effect is marginalized hence no benefit.
Resource URL: https://painfreephysiotherapy.com/electrotherapy/
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