CARING FOR ATHLETES
Injured Athletes Benefit From High-Tech Electrotherapy
Recent research has led to the development on new forms of orthopaedic treatment that will facilitate the rate of recovery for injured athletes. In professional and amateur sports, time is money so it is imperative to minimize the recovery of injured athletes. It is also of paramount importance that an injured athlete obtains the fullest measure of recovery so to ensure a safe return to sport. In addition, the comfort level of the injured athlete is crucial regarding how well he or she will be able to perform in competition.
Electrotherapeutic treatments involve the use of sophisticated machines for the application of electrical currents into body tissues. Electrotherapy has been available since the times of Hippocrates, who utilized electrical eels to decrease his patient’s pain. Today, research on electrotherapeutic modalities is on the increase. Primary uses of electrotherapy include successful treatment of acute and chronic pain, muscle spasm, tension, vascular disorders, headaches, swelling, would healing, insulin binding, nerve and muscle paralysis and muscle weakness. The technology of electrotherapy is rapidly changing. Physical therapists are able to specifically select certain electrotherapy machines and stimulation parameters that will accomplish a specific therapeutic goal to meet the patient needs.
Electrotherapy equipment comes in many different forms. Some equipment is portable so that athletes may be treated on the sidelines or at half-time. It is not uncommon to see one of the Dallas Cowboys on the sidelines wearing a little black box. Some machines are designed for only pain control while other machines are designed for muscle strengthening and other benefits. Research is currently exploring the benefits and differences of AC versus DC currents, low voltage versus high voltage applications and microcurrents versus regular currents. Specific electrical stimulation parameters and protocols are being identified for different injuries.
If you are injured or suffering from pain, don’t let the word “electrotherapy” scare you. Most recipients of electrotherapy find the treatment sessions relaxing and comfortable as well as highly effective. With athletic community’s and public’s recent concern regarding drug and surgical abuses, electrical therapy provides a natural and conservative means of injury treatment. Electrotherapy provides no known addictive or harmful side effects that could negatively alter athletic performance or test positive on drug tests.