Other Therapies
Nutritional Support
Nutrients play a vital role in the body’s healing process. Deficiencies of one or more of a wide range of nutrients can impair the healing process; conversely, ingestion of specific nutrients can help accelerate the healing process.
When the body is injured, it needs to be supplied with enough energy (calories) to meet the increased metabolic demands. These increases can range from 20 percent to 150 percent higher than basal metabolic rates, depending on the type and severity of the injury. Acute trauma, can result in a significant loss of body protein. At least 50 percent of the calories should come from complex carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent from protein, with no more than 30 percent (preferably 20 percent) from dietary fat.
An injured individual is able to recover much more rapidly, and will be less prone to re-injury if they are healed properly. Manipulative care and a well-designed exercise program work together in the rehabilitation process. Proper healing also requires that attention be given to the nutritive biomechanical needs of the injured person.
Electrophysical Therapy
The use of electrophysical therapy can have a beneficial effect on the clinical outcome of patients in many cases.
The basic effects of electrophysical therapy (EPT) can be divided into three categories: thermal, chemical and kinetic. The type of effect desired is the basis for deciding what therapy to use. Many of the EPT modalities have more than one effect. For example if the desired effects are to decrease pain and soft tissue swelling, cryotherapy would be helpful in obtaining both.
Cryotherapy, the use of ice is used effectively for an anti-inflammatory effect and pain relief. Ice is used more commonly in the treatment of acute injury and diseases to reduce swelling, provide pain relief and reduce the secondary damage from an injury by lowering the local metabolic rate over which the coolant is placed.
A special form of cryotherapy, called ice massage is used in acute sprain / strain injuries. It is helpful in creating anaesthesia after massaging ice over an area for a period of 5-10 minutes.
Heat Therapy has a number of useful effects including increasing circulation, eliminating micro-organisms and damaged cells, relief of muscle spasm and pain relief.
Ultrasound involves applying high frequency sound waves to the body tissues to produce both a micromassage and deep heating, depending upon which type of ultrasound is used.
With chronic symptoms, ultrasound can be used for both massage and heating effects. The use of this therapy in acute injuries is confined to micromassage to reduce swelling.
Interferential Current, a form of electrical stimulation is characterised by crossing 2 electrical mediums using independent frequencies that work together to effectively stimulate large impulse nerve fibres. These frequencies interfere with the transmission of pain messages at the spinal cord level. The current can be adjusted to allow deeper tissue penetration or to increase blood flow.
