It can really get confusing when one has a muscle strain, sprained ankle and other similar maladies and is told to use "cold therapy" and "heat therapy". The mantras are "only use cold", "use cold for first 24-48 hours", "don't use cold use warm moist heat to stop your pain". How is one to know what to do? Well let's examine what to use but more importantly why to use the hot or cold therapy.
Generally speaking immediately following acute injury the body goes into what is called an "inflammatory response" and the area gets red, gets hot and swells. During this time you don't want to inflame an inflammatory reaction and make it worse so the general rule is use cold therapy (cryotherapy). The cold actually:
reduces the edema,
lessens the pain,
cools the temperature of the injured area, and
stops the inflammatory response.
The inflammatory response is natural and helpful but it can cause more injury especially in cases such as spinal cord damage, or brain injury where the swelling causes additional injury to healthy tissues.
After the swelling has stopped, the pain subsided some, and the area cooled down, then warm, moist heat is indicated ( not dry heat ) and that occurs generally when a patient is trying to regain motion, function, movement yet, due to damaged tissues, range of motion is restricted. As the patient tries to regain full range pain inhibits it and it is now that heat helps:
reduce pain
increase blood flow for faster healing
helps extend range of motion when used complemetary with exercise
Now here's the "sleight of hand" that is often confusing to injured patients. Each time a patient goes through an exercise routine then new/old tissues are actually reinjured. That in and of itself re-excites the body's inflammatory response so in essence the patient now has a "new injury" brought on by the rehabilitation process. So immediately after exercising it's best to use cold therapy, not warm moist, as the area being exercised is now in a new "acute" injury process.
Using the Infrex FRM or Infrex Plus machines it's important, in order to understand how we enhance recovery and/or improve athletic performance, to understand what are valence electrodes. It is these electrodes we affect to accelerate recovery from injury and also to possibly enhance total overall health by reducing the free radicals found in our body. It is also the increased quantity of free radicals produced by exercising that we want to minimize to protect overall long term health. The process of exercising produces more free radicals. It's that production and the destruction free radicals cause that possibly leads to the danger of the "weekend warrior" injuries and health deteoriation.
This video, by Tyler DeWitt, is a very good example of what is a valence electrode and how it fits in the periodic table.
Below is a list of non covered diagnosis, and diagnosis codes, by Medicare for the rental and purchase of a tens machine ( transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) , and the purchase of tens supplies. MedFaxx is an accrediated provider of tens machines for Medicare patients, FOR NOW.
Functional Electrical Stimulation In Multiple Sclerosis
The below article is a very good summary article written by J. M. Campbell, Ph.D, P.T. explaining some of the electrical stimulation results for multiple sclerosis patients.
For clarity purposes the term "ES" or "Estim" is a generic declaration of an external device in most cases, that produces a flow of electrons from one electrode to the other of the same channel. The flow of the electrons produces an ionic reaction in the body in the areas between the electrodes, in most cases motor nerves and muscle tissue. The most common use of a specific form of ES with multiple sclerosis patients is the term "Functional Electrical Stimulation", or FES. This is a form of estim where one stimulates motor nerves, at the same time as attempting to move mentally. The breaching of the gap between movement and the brain's message to move is preserved or restored. The FES process is accomplished with voluntary repeated movement assisted by functional stimulation.
A quicker method of accomplishing functional electrical stimulation would be to use "medium frequency Infrex interferential stimulation" with volitional movement at the same time. Typical FES applications involve multiple daily sessions ( 5 - 15), for 10 - 20 minutes whereas "functional stimulation" protocols are 1- 2x daily for 15 minutes at maximum output. Functional stimulation is designed to also increase muscle bulk and strength.
The reference to "healing decubitus ulcers" ( bed sores ) is generally a form of estim known as "pulsed galvanic stimulation", or "high voltage".
The "reduce spasticity" can be accomplished by using FES to fatigue the muscle(s) however most studies fail to then continue to use estim for extended time periods to avoid future spasticity. This accomplished by "interferential therapy" over night for 6 - 12 hours either sensory or subsensory. The process of constant, low amperage stimulation of muscles stops spasticity. Spasticity should be prevented, not treated.
Often chest pain is associated with heart attacks but costochondritis, or Tietze's syndrome, can be successfuly treated with medium frequency interferential therapy provided by the Infrex Plus. The process of inflammation of the costal cartilage can result in pain and the negative charge of the Infrex helps reduce the inflammation while reducing or eliminating the pain.
Specific protocols are provided for self treatment using interferential therapy at home. The goal is to eliminate the source of the costochrondritis pain.
