Diathermy Health Article

Definition

In diathermy, high-frequency electrical currents are used to heat deep muscular tissues. The heat increases blood flow, speeding up recovery. Doctors also use diathermy in surgical procedures by sealing blood vessels with electrically heated probes.

The term diathermy is derived from the Greek words therma, meaning heat, and dia, meaning through. Diathermy literally means heating through.

Origins

The therapeutic effects of heat have long been recognized. More than 2,000 years ago, the Romans took advantage of heat therapies by building hot-spring bathhouses. Since then, various methods of using heat have evolved. In the early 1890s, French physiologist Arséne d'Arsonval began studying the medical application of high-frequency currents. The term diathermy was coined by German physician Carl Franz Nagelschmidt, who designed a prototype apparatus in 1906. Around 1925, United States doctor J. W. Schereschewsky began studying the physiological effects of high-frequency electrical currents on animals. It was several years, however, before the fundamentals of the therapy were understood and put into practice.

Benefits

Diathermy can be used to treat arthritis, bursitis, and other conditions involving stiff, painful joints. It is also used to treat pelvic infections and sinusitis. A benefit of diathermy is that it is a painless procedure that can be administered at a clinic. Also, if the treatment relieves pain, then patients can discontinue pain killers and escape their high cost and side effects.

Description

Diathermy involves heating deep muscular tissues. When heat is applied to the painful area, cellular metabolism speeds up and blood flow increases. The increased metabolism and circulation accelerates tissue repair. The heat helps the tissues relax and stretch, thus alleviating stiffness. Heat also reduces nerve fiber sensitivity, increasing the patient's pain threshold.

There are three methods of diathermy. In each, energy is delivered to the deep tissues, where it is converted to heat. The three methods are:

• Shortwave diathermy. The body part to be treated is placed between two capacitor plates. Heat is generated as the high-frequency waves travel through the body tissues between the plates. Shortwave diathermy is most often used to treat areas like the hip, which is covered with a dense tissue mass. It is also used to treat pelvic infections and sinusitis. The treatment reduces inflammation. The Federal Communications Commission regulates the frequency allowed for short-wave diathermy treatment. Most machines function at 27.33 megahertz.
• Ultrasound diathermy. In this method, high-frequency acoustic vibrations are used to generate heat in deep tissue.
• Microwave diathermy. This method uses radar waves to heat tissue. This form is the easiest to use, but the microwaves cannot penetrate deep muscles.

Diathermy is also used in surgical procedures. Many doctors use electrically heated probes to seal blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding. This is particularly helpful in neurosurgery and eye surgery. Doctors can also use diathermy to kill abnormal growths, such as tumors, warts, and infected tissues.