Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is the application of electrical stimuli to a group of muscles after an injury, stroke, or other incident that results in loss of muscle function. The purpose of NMES is to stimulate the nerves in the muscle with electrical impulse. Electrical impulses occur naturally between the brain and the muscular system in an uninjured body. With NMES, these natural impulses are simulated and can help the muscles re-learn how to function properly again. The use of NMES is non-invasive and doesn’t cause any discomfort; it is achieved by passing an electrical impulse from a device through electrodes placed on the skin over the targeted muscle or muscles. NMES is typically used in conjunction with other methods of physical therapy. The technology is used for diagnostic purposes and measuring improvement.

Light therapy is a non-invasive and relaxing form of therapy that has many benefits including:

• Increases circulation
• Stimulates the production of collagen ─ the most common protein found in the body
• Stimulates the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ─ the major carrier of energy to all cell
• Increases lymphatic system activity which can decrease swelling or natural splinting process of the body
• Increases RNA and DNA synthesis which helps damaged cells to be replaced more promptly, reduce the excitability of nervous tissue to relieve pain
• Increases phagocytosis, an important part of infection fighting process.

Light therapy is used to treat many conditions including tension and migraine headaches, atypical facial pain, TMJ, occipital neuralgia, neck-shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, arthritis of joints, hip or knee, costochondritis, spondylitis, low back strain, sciatica, knee injury, achilles tendonitis, ankle sprain, plantar fasciitis, and shingles.

How it works: light is a form of energy. Appropriate doses and wavelengths of light are therapeutically beneficial in tissue repair and pain control. Cells absorb the photons from the light and transform their energy into ATP, the form of energy that cells use. The resulting ATP is then used to power metabolic processes; synthesize DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and other products needed to repair or regenerate cell components; foster mitosis or cell proliferation; and restore homeostasis.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-invasive method of pain relief that uses a special device that transmits low-voltage electrical impulses through electrodes on the skin to an area of the body that is in pain. TENS has been used widely since the 1970s to relieve acute and chronic pain. It may be used to relieve pain caused by arthritis and fibromyalgia, and a wide range of conditions involving muscle, tendon, ligament, or bursa (the cushioning sac around internal structures) injuries or inflammation. TENS is also used to help nerve pain, which is typically tingling, numbness, or burning pain. It is thought that TENS releases the body’s powerful pain chemical, the neurohormone, beta-endorphin. The effect of beta-endorphin is similar to the effect experienced by runners.

Iontophoresis is a non-invasive procedure that applies a mild electric current to the skin to make it temporarily more permeable, so that anti-inflammatory medication can be delivered to a targeted area of the body that needs treating more successfully.

The use of hot and cold packs are one of the effective, non-drug based remedies for reducing pain and helping the body recover from injuries. When a hot pack is applied to an injured area in the neck, arm, back, or legs, the heat increases blood flow to the affected area and relieves pain and tension in sore muscles. Cold packs are often used to treat sprains and strains. Immediately following an injury, the affected may start to fill with blood and swell, making it hot and red. This can cause pain, limit the patient’s range of motion, and slow the healing process. The application of cold constricts the blood vessels, limiting the supply of blood and reducing swelling. The sooner ice is applied, the more benefits it can offer.

Paraffin wax has a long history of treating a variety of physical conditions. Used as part of massage therapy during the Roman Empire, today it’s a popular physical therapy treatment for sports-related injuries such as muscle injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia, rheumatism, tendonitis, bursitis, and other inflammation conditions. Paraffin wax treatment reduces pain, increases tissue elasticity, and enhances blood flow.

Therapeutic ultrasound is a procedure that has been used by physical therapists since the 1940s. Ultrasound is applied with a round-headed wand that is put in direct contact with the patient’s skin. In order for the wand to easily move over the skin and assist in the transmission of ultrasonic waves, a gel is applied to the wand. Therapeutic ultrasound reduces pain and help the body heal, and is used to treat a variety of conditions such as muscle and joint pain, muscle spasm, ligamentous strain, joint capsule tightness, hematoma, temporal mandibular joint syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, and calcium deposits.

The two main forms of ultrasound therapy are thermal and mechanical ultrasound. Thermal ultrasound is commonly used to treat soft tissue injuries. The continuous transmission of ultrasonic waves increases tissue cell metabolism, promoting healing of injuries and regeneration of healthy soft tissue. Mechanical ultrasound therapy delivers pulses of ultrasonic waves to areas of pain or injury, inducing the expansion and contraction of soft tissues.

Also called hot/cold immersion therapy, contrast bath therapy is a method of treating soreness, swelling, and inflammation in muscles or joint injuries, such as mild sprains, and can also ease the symptoms of chronic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Some athletes also use contrast bathing to speed up recovery from exercise.

A contrast bath involves immersing the joint in alternating hot and cold water. The hot water causes vasodilation, the widening of the blood vessels, and the cold water causes vasoconstriction, the constriction of blood vessels. This process of alternating between hot and cold creates a pumping action in the area receiving the treatment which increases blood flow and helps to drain excess fluids out of a swollen joint or muscle.

BioFeedback is a technique that trains people to improve their health by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. Electrodes attached to your skin measure these processes and display them on a monitor. With help from a biofeedback therapist, you can learn to change your heart rate or blood pressure, for example. At first you use the monitor to see your progress, but eventually you will be able to achieve success without the monitor or electrodes. Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions, but it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence.

Phonophersis is performed to relieve any pain or discomfort on the injured area(s). Phonophoresis uses an ultrasound to push medicine deep into your joints or muscles. An ultrasound machine makes sound waves that are too high for the human ear to hear. These sound waves travel through your skin and into your body. A gel is used between the head of the ultrasound machine and the skin to help the sound waves enter your body. Ultrasound waves create the effect of deep heat in your muscles and joints. In phonophoresis, medicine is added to the gel. The sound waves from the ultrasound machine push this medicine deep into your body. Phonophoresis is performed to relieve any pain or discomfort on the injured area(s).