While some modalities may only be available during a treatment session, others can be done at home.
This article explores 12 common physical therapy modalities, including how and why they are used.
Exercise can bepassive or active.
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Home exercises are often also prescribed.
The home program is a group of exercises that you perform on your own.
They can be very important in helping you return to normal function.
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Ultrasound is administered by your physical therapist using an ultrasound machine.
A small amount of gel is used so the ultrasound waves are absorbed into the skin and muscles.
There are two theories about how stimulation works: the gate theory and the opiate theory.
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Opiate theory.The nervous system naturally produces three opioids that act as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators to produce analgesia.
Other forms of electrical stimulation may be used to contract muscles.
To use lumbar traction, you must be strapped into a mechanical machine.
Brett Sears, 2011
There is a vest that helps support your ribs and another gear that wraps around your pelvis.
The vest and pelvic gear are stabilized with straps, and a mechanical force is applied with a machine.
Cervical traction is applied in either the sitting or lying position.
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The weight provides the traction force while you sit comfortably in a chair.
In lying, or supine, traction, a specific unit is used.
You must lie down on your back and strap your forehead into the unit.
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Then, a pneumatic pump is used to help provide the traction force to your neck.
This can help to decrease pain and improve mobility.
This gliding motion is increased during joint mobilizations.
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These techniques can help you return to normal function quickly and help prevent future problems.
A few different types of massage include Swedish, deep tissue, and sports massage.
The heat helps to increase circulation to the injured tissues, relax the muscles, and provide pain relief.
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In a physical therapy clinic, hot packs are kept in a unit called a hydrocollator.
This is a large tank of hot water.
The hot packs are cloth packs filled with a sand, clay and silica mixture.
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The hot pack is usually kept on the injured body part for 15 to 20 minutes.
Ice is usually used during the acute or initial phase of injury to limit localized swelling around tissues.
Most often, a steroid like dexamethasone is used in the treatment of inflammation.
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This steroid can help decrease the pain and swelling of tissues that takes place if they’re inflamed.
It is not a replacement for active physical therapy but can be added as part of an overall plan.
Light therapy can be used in the treatment of chronic pain, inflammation, or wound healing.
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Kinesiology tape is applied to the skin, and it can be kept in place for a few days.
Whirlpools can be hot or cold.
The usual temperature for a hot whirlpool is between 98 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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A cold whirlpool bath is typically 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
This motion can have a soothing effect, and can also be used in the treatment of wound debridement.
Gentle exercises can be performed to help improve motion around the body part while it is in the whirlpool.
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Harvard Medical School.Ask the doctor: hot tubs and heart health.
