| Abbreviation / other names
What does |
Short Wave Diathermy
|
| What does it do? |
The use of short wave radio frequency for heat therapy |
| Physiology |
Radio Frequency (RF) is used to penetrate deep into the
body tissue to stimulate blood flow and to heat the treated
area. The heating effect on parts of the body that have been
exposed to RF may last up to 90 min with a temperature increase
of 1 to 2 0C°. Treated tissue can have increased circulation
without stressing the tissue from movement or exercise. The
applications of short wave therapy are for rheumatic disorders
for joints and muscles, inflammatory disorders of the respiratory
organs, the kidneys and urinary tracts and all disorders resulting
from poor circulation. |
| How it works |
Short-wave diathermy is an electrical field that oscillates
at varying frequencies and different wavelengths and is applied
to a patient by capacitor field treatment or coil field treatment.
The oscillating fields produce distortion of molecules, rotation
of dipoles and vibration of ions. The movement of the molecules
and ions generates heat within the tissues. The RF field can
be continuous or pulsed depending on the application. A timer
is often installed for length of treatment.
With capacitor field treatment, the treatment site is placed between the plates of a capacitor and becomes the dielectric. The RF energy is diffused through the part of the body located between the plate electrodes. Heat is developed in the entire diffused area. With coil field treatment the generated RF flows through a coil in an insulated housing that is applied to the body’s treatment site. An RF magnetic eddy field arises around the coil that is transferred into heat at the treatment site that decreases in intensity, the deeper the field penetrates into the site |
| Units of measurement |
Watts, Hz, pulse width |
| Typical values |
Up to 400W continuous, 900W pulsed, 27.12MHz, 400ms pulse
width. |
| Picture of equipment |
|
 Comfotherm |
|
Shortwave Physiotherapy Machines - Basic