If your doctor prescribes physiotherapy Burlington ON, you might expect to do a lot of exercises. That may be true, but physical therapy can involve a lot more than that. Physical therapy modalities are treatments that work to relieve inflammation and pain. This is often necessary to start exercise to regain strength, stamina, and flexibility. Here are a few of the most interesting physical therapy modalities.
1. Light or Laser Therapy
The energy carried by photons of light can be applied to decrease pain or speed healing by improving cellular processes. Not just any light will do, though; it has to be of a specific wavelength. This type of therapy involves applying the light directly to the affected area with a handheld wand equipped with an emitter to produce the necessary wavelength of light.
2. Iontophoresis
Steroid medication can be very effective at reducing inflammation and pain. The more directly you can deliver the medication to the affected area, the better the results may be. Iontophoresis is a noninvasive way of delivering the medication transdermally to the area of inflammation using a low-level electric current through an electrode connected to the skin.
3. Ultrasound
Heat can be effective at relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow to an area for better healing. Ultrasound is a way of deep heating areas of musculoskeletal pain. It can be helpful for treating chronic and acute soft tissue injuries, such as tendonitis or sprains.
4. Transcutaneous Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation
A TENS unit uses a mild electrical current to stimulate the nerves in a symptomatic area. This helps to relieve pain. It can also help injured muscles relearn the proper way to function by stimulating them to contract.
5. Joint Mobilization
This modality is intended to improve your ability to move by passively taking certain joints through range of motion. In other words, the therapist manually holds the affected limb and exerts gentle force to move it in the desired direction.
Your therapist may recommend particular physical therapy modalities based on your condition.