- Electrical stimulation. Strengthens muscles in disuse
atrophy, assists healing, reduces muscle spasm, improves
mobility, and provides chronic or acute pain relief.
- Cryotherapy. Includes cold packs and ice massage.
Alleviates early acute injury or inflammation (contusions,
strains, sprains, postoperative conditions) and chronic
pain due to muscle spasm. Improves range of motion
secondary to pain or edema.
- Hot packs. Provide superficial moist heat to reduce pain
and muscle spasm and to improve tissue extensibility.
- Laser (phototherapy). Low-level light energy heals
tissues and reduces pain.
- Paraffin bath. A superficial heating agent used in areas
that are difficult to isolate such as distal extremities (hands,
feet). Same effects as hot packs; also helps soften skin.
- Spinal traction. Employed in spinal nerve impingement
due to bulging or herniated disk, degenerative disk dis-
ease, generalized hypomobility of cervical or lumbar
spine region, or muscle spasm from nerve-root impinge-
ment. Reduces signs and symptoms of cervical
or lumbar spinal compression.
- Ultrasound. A form of deep heating with high-energy
sound waves used for subacute and chronic inflammation.
Soothes painful joints, reduces swelling, relaxes tissues
and promotes healing, lessens muscle spasm, and aids in
scar-tissue breakdown.
