Other Physical Therapies - Physical And Complementary Therapies: Arthritis

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Other physical therapies

A variety of other physical therapies have been suggested for the pain of arthritis, but the scientific evidence for their effectiveness is scant. If you choose to explore such therapies and find them useful, be sure to continue your conventional therapy and visit your physician regularly.

For example, a technique called diathermy (deep heat) uses electromagnetic waves of different frequencies to deliver heat deep to the tissues. Microwave and ultrasound are the most common wave frequencies used in physical therapy, chiefly to relieve muscle spasm. Microwaves relax muscles, while ultrasound penetrates deeper to reach other soft tissues as well. Diathermy should not be used on actively inflamed joints, and people with pacemakers cannot be treated with microwaves (although ultrasound is safe for such people). Whether diathermy is useful for people with inflammatory arthritis is controversial.

Doctors sometimes recommend transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for people with chronic pain. TENS works by stimulating large nerve fibers, which theoretically blocks transmission of pain signals from small fibers. Some people with chronic pain from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis find TENS quite effective. The TENS device consists of a battery pack and electrodes that attach near the painful joint. The battery generates a very low electrical current to the electrodes, producing a pleasant tingling, vibrating, or massaging sensation.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008