What is Interferential Therapy?

Interferential Therapy

Physiotherapy plays a significant role in pain relief and rehabilitation. Some of the critical problems where physiotherapy can offer a significant improvement are paralysis, sciatica, stroke, facial palsy, postsurgical rehabilitation, Lumbar Spondylosis, Cervical Spondylosis, intervertebral disc problems, and more.

Interferential therapy utilizes mid-frequency electrical stimulus to relieve muscle sprains, strains, and spasms. If applied in the right manner, the mid-frequency current ways can create a massaging impact on the affected area of your body at intermitted levels. This results in secretion or production of encephalins and endorphins.

 The encephalins and endorphins are natural analgesics which your body cells create during a painful condition to ease the pain. Therefore, interferential therapy aims at stimulating the nerves found in the affected area of your body to produce more encephalins and endorphins to relieve the pain. It is worth noting that in a case where you have an open wound, infection, cut injuries, and other similar cases, interferential therapy should not be used because it may end up making the situation worse.

Interferential therapy can be used in the following measures:

•    To help patients relieve muscle pain and other forms of pain

•    To enhance the blood flow majorly cutaneous and local blood flow

•    In muscle stimulation to fasten the recuperation process

•    To eliminate the swelling and edema of various body parts.

Interferential therapy procedure

During interferential therapy, stimulation can be achieved using pad electrodes and sponge covers – when wet they can offer a conductive path. Note that electroconductive gel can be a great alternative for the sponge covers.

The sponges must be extremely wet to ensure even distribution of the current. Also, self-adhesive pad electrodes can be used, and they make the interferential therapy application easier as most practitioners ascertain.

Whichever the electrode system is chosen, it important to make sure that the electrode positioning covers the entire area that requires stimulation. Note that use of large electrodes is likely to minimize the patient discomforts. On the other hand, using closely spaced electrodes increases the risk of possible skin damage or burn and superficial tissue irritation.

Also, the bipolar (two poles) application approach is perfectly acceptable, and there exists no physiological variation in treatment results despite the few anecdotal stories to the contrary.

The treatment duration varies extensively depending on the usual clinical parameters of chronic conditions and the type of physiological effect to be achieved. Where the practitioner is presented with a chronic condition, shorter treatments of five to ten minutes may be adequate to achieve the desired effect.

In some cases, it may be crucial to stimulating the affected area for 20-30 minutes. It is advised that short treatments are initially adopted especially with the chronic case of symptom exacerbation. If the objective of the treatment has not been achieved, these short treatments can be progressed. However, note that there is no research evidence to support the belief that continuous progression of the treatment dose can increase or maintain the stimulation effect.

Conclusion

Nowadays, the interferential therapy is available in most physiotherapy and pain management centers. Therefore, you no longer need to battle with pain. Therefore, opting for treatment to eliminate your pain is currently much easier, and the cost of the treatment is low.

Also, it is important first to get information regarding various physiological and pain management centers that use the interferential therapy. This will help you to know the reputation and the quality of the services offered in such centers. With that, you can make a sound decision regarding the right clinic that will provide a high-quality interferential therapy.