SHORT WAVE DIATHERMY

DEFINITION
• USE OF HIGH FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES TO GENERATE
HEAT IN THE BODY

• IT PROVIDES THE DEEPEST FORM OF HEAT AVAILABLE TO

PHYSIOTHERAPIST
• WHEN SWD IS APPLIED BY CAPACITOR FIELD METHOD THE
ELECTRODES AND THE PATIENTS TISSUE FORM A CAPACITOR
THE CAPACITANCE OF SUCH A CAPACITOR DEPENDS UPON
• THE SIZE OF ELECTRODES
• DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES
• TISSUE BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES

• WHEN SWD IS APPLIED BY CABLE METHOD THE CABLE AND THE

PATIENTS TISSUE FORMS AN INCDUCTANCE
CAPACITOR FIELD METHOD
• ELECTRODES ARE PLACED ON EACH SIDE OF THE BODY BEING
TREATED
• ELECTRODES ACT AS THE PLATES OF THE CAPACITOR WHILE THE
PATIENTS TISSUE TOGETHER WITH THE INSULATING MATERIAL FORMS
THE DIELECTRIC

• AS THE CURRENT IS PASSED ,RAPIDLY AC ARE SET UP IN THE

ELECTRODES AND GIVES RISE TO RAPIDLY ALTERNATING ELECTRIC
FIELD BETWEEN THEM
EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC FIELD

• ON CONDUCTORS –RAPID OSCILLATION OF ELECTRONS AND HEAT IS

PRODUCED

• ON INSULATORS – DISTORTION OF THE MOLECULES

• ELECTROLYTE –ROTATION OF THE DIPOLES

EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC FIELD ON BODY
TISSUES
• DEPENDS ON DIELECTRIC CONSTANT OF SPECIFIC BODY TISSUES
• TISSUES WITH LOW IMPEDANCE SUCH AS BLOOD AND MUSCLES
HAVE HIGH DIELECTRIC CONSTANTS AND VICE VERSA
• ARRANGEMENT OF TISSUES COMING IN THE PATHWAY OF ELECTRIC
FIELD AFFECTS THE DISTRIBUTION OF LINES OF FORCE AND HEAT
PRODUCTION
• IF PARALLEL [LONGITUDINALLY] – HEAT PRODUCTION MAX IN LOW
IMPEDANCE
• IF TRANSVERSE- HEAT PRODUCTION MAX IN TISSUES OF HIGH IMPEDANCE
• THE AIM IS TO ACHIEVE EVEN ELECTRIC FIELD AS FAR AS POSSIBLE
THROUGHOUT THE SUPERFICIAL AND DEEP TISSUES

• IT DEPENDS OF PLACEMENT OF ELECTRODES WHICH INTURN

DEPENDS ON-
• TYPES OF ELECTRODES

• SIZE

• SPACING

• POSITIONING
TYPES OF ELECTRODES

• PAD –THIN MALLEABLE METAL PLATE COVERED WITH A RUBBER PAD

SEPERATED FROM THE SKIN BY PERFORATED FELT PAD

• PLATE –THICK RIGID METAL PLATE COATED WITHIN A THIN LAYER OF

INSULATING MATERIAL MADE UP OF RUBBER AND PLASTIC

• DISC ELECTRODE-TRANSPERENT PLASTIC COVER WITH IN WHICH

METAL PLATE IS PRESENT
SIZE OF ELECTRODES
• IF TWO ELECTRODES ARE OF DIFFERENT SIZE THE CHARGE WILL
ACCUMULATE ON THE PART OF LARGER ELECTRODES

• IF THE ELECTRODES ARE LITTLE LARGER THAN THE AREA THE OUTER
PART WHERE THE SPREAD IS GREATEST IS NOT USED
• FOR TREATMENT OF LIMBS ELECTRODES SHOULD BE LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF
THE LIMBS
• FOR TRUNK AND BACK ELECTRODES SHOULD BE MUCH MORE LARGER
• IF THE DIAMETER OF THE ELECTRODES IS SMALLER THAN THAT OF
LIMBS MORE HEAT IS PRODUCED IN THE SUPERFICIAL TISSUES
SPACING OF ELECTRODES
• WHEN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES IS LARGE THE
SPREADING OUT OF THE ELECTRIC FIELD IS MINIMAL

• WHEN THE SPACING IS NARROW ,SUPERFICIAL TISSUE IS HEATED MORE

THAN DEEP

• IF PLACED AT AN UNEQUAL DISTNACE THE AREA AGAINST THE CLOSER

ELECRTRODE IS HEATED MORE

• IF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES IS LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF

THE TWO PADS THEN THE LINES OF FORCE WILL TRAVEL THROUGH PADS
ONLY
POSITIONING OF ELECTRODES
CABLE METHOD OR INDUCTOTHERMY
• IN THIS METHOD A THICK INSULATED CABLE IS USED FOR TREATMENT
PURPOSE

• WHEN THE HIGH FREQUENCY CURRENT IS PASSED A VARYING

ELECTROSTATIC FIELD IS SET UP BW ITS ENDS AND VARYING
MAGNETIC FIELD AROUND ITS CENTRE

• THE CABLE IS COILED AROUND THE BODY AND SEPEREATED WITH A

INSULATING MATERIAL
EFFECT OF ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELD
• IF THE CABLE IS COILED AROUND THE MATERIAL OF HIGH
IMPEDANCE THE ELECTRIC FIELD DOMINATES

• IF THE CABLE IS COILED AROUND THE TISSUE OF LOW IMPEDANCE

MAGNETIC FIELD PREDOMINATES
• MAGNETIC FIELD VARIES AS THE CURRENT OSCILLATES AND EMF IS INDUCED BY
ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
• THIS EMF GIVES RISE TO EDDY CURRENTS
• EDDY CURRENTS PRODUCE HEAT ESPECIALLY IN THE PARTS OF LOW IMPEDANCE
• FOR TREATMENT OF LIMBS CABLE IS COILED AROUNF THE PARTS

• IF THE AREA IS LARGE THEN COMPLETE CABLE IS USED AND BOTH ELECTRIC
AND MAGNETIC FIELD IS USED
• IF THE AREA IS SMALL THE ENTIRE CABLE IS NOT REQUIRED ,ELECTRIC OR
MAGNETIC FIELD SHOULD BE USED ACCORDINGLY

• FOR TREATMENT OF LARGE SURFACE LIKE BACK CABLE CAN BE

ARRANGED IN FLAT HELIX OR GRID ARRANGENT CAN BE USED

• Grid form – superficial heating

• Helix form – deep heating
 • ADVANTAGES
FOR TREATMENT OF LARGER AREAS

FOR TREATMENT IF IRREGULAR AREAS

WHEN HEATING OF SUBCUTANEOUS FAT IS TO BE AVOIDED

• DISADVANTAGES-

• IMPOSSIBILITY OF USING AIR SPACING

INDICATIONS
INFLAMMATION
TRAUMATIC CONDITIONS
RELIEF OF PAIN
MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS
REMOVAL OF TRIGGER POINTS
DRAINAGE OF SINUSES
ARTHRITIS
CONTRAINDICATIONS
• HAEMORRHAGE
• METAL IMPLANTS
• DISTURBED SKIN SENSATION
• VENOUS THROMBOSIS
• ARTERIAL DISEASE
• MENSTRUATION AND PREGNANCY
• TUMOURS
• EPILEPTIC PATIENTS