Electrotherapy 1 Flashcards

(57 cards)

1
Q

Indications

A
Pain modulation
Mm strengthening/reeducation
Edema control
Dec mm spasm
Tissue healing (wound care)
Inflammation control
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2
Q

Contraindications

A
Pacemaker
Infection
Malignancy 
Pregnancy 
Musculoskeletal injury specific
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3
Q

Current =

A

The flow of electrons

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4
Q

Voltage =

A

THe force resulting from an accumulation of electrons

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5
Q

Frequency =

A

the number of cycles or pulses per second (Hz = pulse per second)

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6
Q

Conductance

A

The ease at which current flows through a medium

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7
Q

Resistance

A

Opposition to current flow

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8
Q

Impedance

A

Resistance in biologic tissue

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9
Q

Monophasic or DC

A

Direct current
Most likely to cause injury
Current flows either above or below the 0 line

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10
Q

Times that we will use DC

A
Iontophoresis 
Noxious stim (used sometimes for management of chronic pain)
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11
Q

Biphasic or AC

A

Alternating current
Portion of the wave above the 0 and portion below
Balances the ions - safer to use because it doesnt allow for accumulation of charge that can damage tissue

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12
Q

Biphasic, symmetrical, balanced

A

Above and below the line
Sym - shape of the wave is the same above and below the line
Balanced - area under each wave is equal so no net charge

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13
Q

Biphasic, asymmetrical, unbalanced

A

Above and below the line
Asym - shapes are different
Unbalanced - different SA so there is a net charge that is building up

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14
Q

Biphasic, asymmetrical, balanced

A

Above and below
diff shape
balanced SA above and below so no net charge

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15
Q

Pulsed

A

A way to package monophasic or biphasic current (Inferential Current, Russian) - used for mm strengthening - need special machine

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16
Q

Current flow follows

A

the path of least resistance

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17
Q

Current flow - skin

A

Poor conductor
Has a lot of impedance
Skin prep we do is to dec the impedance

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18
Q

Current flow - blood

A

Excellent conductor

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19
Q

Current flow - mm or tendon

A

Poor conductor

Muscle belly is a little better because of water

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20
Q

Current flow - fat

A

Poor conductor

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21
Q

Current flow - nerve

A

Good conductor

A lot of our protocols use the nerve to stimulate whatever we are targeting

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22
Q

Clinical implication - skin preparation

A

Need to cleanse and prepare the skin to dec impedence

Need to inspect skin after taking electrodes off too

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23
Q

Clinical implication - target tissue (fibers)

A

A delta = fast pain
A beta = non-noxious fast sensory nerve endings
C fibers = chronic or slow pain

24
Q

Treatment parameters

A
  1. Waveform type and shape
  2. Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical
    Many will be biphasic and balanced, shape doesnt impact as much
  3. Frequency
  4. Pulse duration
  5. Phase duration
    Pulse and phase duration can be used interchangeably
25
Relationship with pulse/phase duration and frequency | More comfortable?
Inverse | Higher frequency and lower duration is more comfortable
26
Why is a longer duration more uncomfortable
Building up the current and can cause injury to tissue
27
Current modulation or packaging (options)
Continuous Burst Beat Ramping
28
Current modulation or packaging - Continuous
Light tingle the entire time
29
Current modulation or packaging - Burst
Contraction on and then rest time and then back on and rest
30
Current modulation or packaging - Beat
Very low frequency - has longer lasting relief when it is off - one wave though and then it is done
31
Current modulation or packaging - Ramping
Usually for mm protocol Slowly ramp up and hits full contraction and then ramp back down More comfortable for patients
32
Current modulation or packaging - Ramping time period
Isometric voluntary contractions - need 6 sec hold | With e-stim do 2 sec ramp up, 6 sec contraction, 2 sec ramp down so 10 total seconds and then rest time
33
Current direction
Usually one direction? | FILL IN
34
Current density
Density of the current or charge at a certain point Inversely related to the size of your electrode Larger electrode - lower density is preferable by patient
35
Electrode placement can be
Bipolar Monopolar Quadripolar
36
Bipolar electrode placement
Density is equal | Both are active
37
Monopolar electrode placement
Huge displacement Iontophoresis will use this Pad is positive and electrode is neg
38
Quadripolar
In picture - beign used for pain/edema
39
Strength/Duration Curve =
STUDY IT!
40
Strength/Duration Curve - Charts the
Minimal amplitude of stimulus that will depolarize tissue defined as rheobase
41
Strength/Duration Curve - Chronaxie
The length of time a current at twice the rheobase intensity must be applied to produce a response
42
Concepts of S-D curve - an extremely short duration stimuli will
NOT stimulate tissue unless the intensity is intolerable
43
Concept of S-D curve - different size nerves demonstrate
different S-D curves
44
Tetanic contraction
The higher the frequency, the more likely you will produce tetanic contraction
45
Single twitch is from
Single stimulus
46
Increase the frequency of stimulus and you will get
Successive muscle twitches and eventual reach tetany
47
Each mm has individual "best frequency" - usually
40-60 pps
48
Clinical effects of e-stim
Mm contraction Sensory nerve stimulation to relieve pain Creation of electrical field to promote healing Creation of an electrical field on skin to drive ions through skin
49
How does estim achieve clinical effects - Cellular effects
Excitation of nerve cells Changes in cell membrane permeability Stimulation of fibroblast or osteoblast Changes in microcirculation
50
How does estim achieve clinical effects - tissue effects
Mm contraction Tissue regeneration Bone healing
51
How does estim achieve clinical effects - segmental
Requires cellular and tissue changes Changes in joint mobility Mm pumping to change blood and lymph flow Changes to automatic systems
52
How does estim achieve clinical effects - systemic
Endogenous pain suppressors release and control pain | Release of NT to dec pain
53
Fiber recruitment - Given
More motor units recruit for a muscle contraction the stronger the contraction
54
Fiber recruitment - CNS
Asynchronous recruitment
55
Fiber Recruitment - Electrical Stim
Limited nerve fibers used therefore limited motor units - synchronous recruitment
56
Motor unit excitability - physiologically
Gradation of small motor neurons/units excited than large fibers
57
Motor unit excitability - Electrically
Most excitable fibers fire first large fibers near surface Fibers directly under stimulation Easily fatigued