Physiotherapy for back and joint pain

Physiotherapy for back and joint pain is a method of treatment and rehabilitation at the same time

Physiotherapy for back and joint pain is a key step in the relief and treatment of pain. It is a necessary component in the prevention of complications, tissue restoration, and inflammation relief. The treatment regimen can use either one technique or several at once to enhance the therapeutic effect.

What are the benefits of physical therapy sessions?

One of the main advantages of physiotherapeutic procedures is their versatility, since the same factor can be used to treat or prevent different pathologies.

Physiotherapy is also distinguished by its physiology, since many physical factors are part of the external environment, under the influence of which our body is. They are habitual stimuli to which an unconditioned reflex is gradually developed.

Physiotherapy methods are non-toxic, do not cause adverse reactions or effects, and do not cause allergies. Of course, sometimes physical therapy (this is 3-4% of cases) can cause unwanted effects. This happens due to an overdose of the factor or its individual intolerance.

When carried out correctly, physiotherapy is painless and does not cause discomfort; most often, it is accompanied, on the contrary, by pleasant sensations, relieving fatigue, and increasing performance.

Physiotherapy is diverse in its methodological techniques - it can be used both in the form of local procedures and in the form of general ones, in a continuous or pulsed mode, in the form of external and internal influences. This feature helps facilitate individualization of treatment.

Progress of the procedure

Electrophoresis for osteochondrosis is practically not difficult to perform.
You will need two fabric pads into which the electrodes must fit freely. The electrode must be completely hidden under the material on both sides. Before the procedure, the pads are boiled, squeezed out and cooled. The medication solution is placed on the pad in strict accordance with existing standards. Typically, the solution should only be present on the positive or negative anode. Electrodes are applied to the affected area (neck, chest or lower back) at some distance from one another. They are securely fixed using cellophane filled with sand or a special film. Sometimes, instead of pads, the plates are placed on gauze bandages placed on the patient's skin.

The man covers himself and turns on the equipment. The current strength increases gradually, based on the patient’s well-being. He should feel a slight tingling sensation in the place where the electrodes are. There should be no pain or burning sensation. If this requirement is ignored, a burn may occur on the skin. An electrophoresis session for osteochondrosis lasts ten to fifteen minutes. The weight of the course, according to the decision of the attending physician, ranges from ten to twenty procedures. They are carried out every day or every other day.

Description of the procedure

When an electric current is combined with medicinal substances, ions are formed - positively charged "+" particles. They penetrate deep into tissues up to 5 mm and at the same time transfer the health complex through the skin into the cells of the body.

An integral part of electrophoresis is the cathode and anode - differently charged electrodes that create an electric field. One of them is placed on a problem area on the patient’s body, the other is clamped in the hand or secured to an area of ​​the body according to the diagram that is attached to the device.

Depending on the effect expected from electrophoresis, either an anode or a cathode is placed on the problem area:

• The “-” cathode conducts alkaline solutions that improve blood flow in the skin, soften it, and stimulate nerve endings. The cathode is often chosen for cosmetic purposes for oily and mature skin.
• The “+” anode conducts acidic solutions to strengthen the skin, relax the body, and improve microcirculation. It is chosen when it is necessary to get rid of redness, inflammation, swelling, and narrowing of pores.

The effect of procedures with an anode or cathode on the body is shown in more detail in the table:

The effect of differently charged electrodes on the body during a galvanic electrophoresis session

Electrophoresis can be performed in a clinic or independently at home using special devices. There is nothing complicated in this procedure, just be careful: do not confuse the cathode (negative electrode) and the anode (positive). To do this, you need to study the instructions for use in detail.

Also, not all medicinal drugs are suitable for electrophoresis - only “charged” drugs, and this should be indicated by the corresponding labeling on the drug packaging.

Drugs used

To carry out electrophoresis for osteochondrosis, the following drugs may be prescribed.

Novocain . This is the most popular medication for iontophoresis. It relieves pain that appears in the intervertebral discs. To enhance the effect of the procedure, a massage is prescribed. The simultaneous effect of therapy and manual actions helps to quickly get rid of pain. If you add muscle relaxants, the treatment result becomes more effective.

Eufillin . This is also a pain reliever, it is used when there are signs of circulatory problems in the brain. The use of the drug leads to improved blood circulation, saturation of tissues with oxygen, and pain relief.

A solution of magnesium sulfate (magnesium sulfate) or urea. The procedure calms, relieves cramps and spasms, improves sleep, and swelling subsides. Nerve impulses are transmitted better, and a diuretic effect is observed.

Lidaza . Tissue permeability increases, fluids move more freely in the space between different tissues. The result is improved joint activity. Lidaza especially helps in the presence of degenerative pathologies in the spine.

Apifor. This is an anti-inflammatory agent based on bee venom. The drug relieves pain and improves immunity. For electrophoresis for osteochondrosis, the medication is added to distilled water. Sometimes there may be side effects, such as increased body temperature, swelling, itching, redness, and minor pain. These symptoms persist for up to three days after the procedure.

Mumiyo . This natural remedy relieves inflammation, regenerates, eliminates swelling, pain goes away, damaged tissues are restored, beginning to function like a healthy person. Shilajit is introduced simultaneously from both poles of the device. Since most of the particles have a positive charge, the mummy enters through the anode into the most affected area. The mumiyo reaches a place with less pathology through the cathode.

Karipain . This is a new medication intended specifically for the treatment of osteochondrosis. It is of plant origin, made from papaya. Electrophoresis using it has an impressive regenerating effect in damaged intervertebral discs.

Humisol . The medicine is made from medicinal mud from the bottom of the sea. The medicine relieves pain, relieves inflammation, and regenerates tissue.

Some other drugs are also used, but much less frequently.

Contraindications

Electrophoresis of the spine is contraindicated in:

• individual intolerance;
• elevated body temperature;
• hypertension;
• cardiac arrhythmia;
• some skin diseases;
• skin damage;
• acute period of inflammatory diseases;
• infectious diseases;
• mental disorders;
• tumors, both malignant and benign;
• presence of a pacemaker;
• severe exhaustion;
• feeling unwell.

Advantages of electrophoresis

When a drug is administered under the influence of a direct electric current, a certain depot is formed, from which the drug disperses evenly and gradually throughout the tissues.

The body receives the minimum effective doses of the drug in its most working ionized form, which does not require an additional portion of metabolism.

Electrophoresis acts at the local level, the medicine does not enter the bloodstream, which helps to avoid side effects and complications.

The drug is not destroyed uselessly in the stomach, intestines and liver. This helps to use smaller doses of the medication.

The excretory system and liver are not exposed to the toxic effects of the drug.

The medicine immediately gets to the place where the pathology develops. This cannot be achieved even with the use of injections into a vein due to the formation of swelling and circulatory disorders.

Iontophoresis ionizes the active substance in the medication, this makes it most effective.

The current, which is galvanic in nature, has healing properties in itself. It helps blood circulation, reduces inflammation, relieves swelling, and improves the functioning of the immune system.

Electrophoresis helps reduce the risk of drug allergies, since the drug enters the body in its purest form, without the use of solvents and various additives.

The effect of electrophoresis for osteochondrosis is completely painless, extremely comfortable and does not damage the skin.

Electrophoresis apparatus

Electrophoresis is one of the most effective methods for treating a wide variety of diseases. It is an important stage in the complex therapy of most diseases. And it allows you to quickly get rid of not only the symptoms, but also eliminate its root cause.

Electrophoresis is physiotherapy, the healing effect of which is enhanced by the combined effects of electric current and medicinal substances.

How did he appear?

The healing properties of the method became known at the beginning of the 19th century. And largely thanks to the discovery of the most important properties of current, including galvanic. The method is based on the theory of electrolytic dissociation by S. Arrhenius, developed in 1787. According to it, during electrophoresis, drugs are introduced into the body according to their polarity: cations (positively charged ions) with anodes, anions (negatively charged ions) with cathodes. Since 1802, electrophoresis has been actively used in medical practice not only for the treatment, but also for the prevention of various pathologies.

How does the therapeutic effect occur?

During therapy, a high concentration of a drug is introduced into the patient's body, which, using direct current, enters the very center of the disease through the skin. At the same time, the integrity of the skin is preserved and not even the slightest damage occurs. On the eve of the procedure, the medicine itself is placed in an aqueous solution, where it breaks down into ions. Then a pad soaked in this solution is applied to the patient's body. And on top there is a protective gasket through which electric current is passed. Drug ions penetrate the mucous membranes into the body and are evenly distributed in the cells and intercellular fluid. Thanks to electrophoresis, the drug can be delivered to any organs and tissues through the blood and lymph. And the amount of a substance that can be absorbed during therapy depends on the size and charge of the ion, as well as the concentration of the drug in the solution during the procedure. The properties of the solvent used and the electric current density also play an important role. The duration of the procedure is prescribed by the doctor individually, taking into account the patient’s age, the condition of his skin, the general condition of the body and the current pathology.

What does electrophoresis treat?

Electrophoresis treatment is used in a wide variety of branches of medicine, including in the treatment of diseases of the spine and joints. This method has gained such popularity due to its effectiveness, painlessness and absolute safety. Using electrophoresis, it is possible to eliminate microcirculation disorders in various organs to which it is impossible to deliver the drug through the bloodstream.

Also, the electrophoresis treatment method is used in the treatment of pathologies such as:

• neurological disorders (neuritis, neurosis);
• cardiovascular diseases (hypertension and coronary heart disease);
• respiratory diseases (acute and chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma);
• ENT diseases (otitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis and pharyngitis); - gynecological pathology (endometriosis, cervical erosion, cervicitis);
• urological diseases (cystitis, pyelonephritis);
• pathology of the male reproductive system (prostatitis);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, gastritis, cholecystitis, gallbladder dyskinesia)

Electrophoresis is not only an important part of conservative treatment, but also the main stage of rehabilitation therapy after surgical interventions. It has an excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, promotes rapid healing of postoperative wounds, and relieves swelling. The method has also found application in dermatology, where it is successfully used in the treatment of seborrhea, rosacea and acne scars. Thanks to 2–3 electrophoresis procedures, useful and necessary substances penetrate deep into the skin cells, which, in turn, allows you to achieve an excellent rejuvenating effect. Electrophoresis also allows you to get rid of cellulite in the shortest possible time.

A full course of treatment promotes the rapid removal of fluid and harmful substances from the body, thus normalizing metabolism and tissue nutrition.

What are its advantages?

Electrophoresis is not only more effective, but also safer and more useful than other methods of drug administration. Other “advantages” of using the method include:

• A longer lasting effect due to the accumulation and slow release of the drug into the bloodstream.
• Slow elimination of the drug from the body.
• No side effects.
• The method allows you to administer one or several medications at once to any part of the body.
• The medicine is delivered in low doses, comfortably and painlessly to the desired area of ​​the body, without affecting other organs or the body’s environment.
• High efficiency of treatment is ensured by electric current, which further increases the activity of the drug substance.
• The method makes it possible to accurately dose the drug by changing parameters that are selected individually for each patient (current strength, electrode size, procedure duration and solution concentration)

How to treat with electrophoresis.

There are various electrophoresis treatment techniques. Each of them is selected by the doctor individually depending on the current pathology and condition of the patient’s body. In the treatment of hypertension, neuroses, peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, as a rule, the method of ion reflexes according to Shcherbak is used. The specialist uses medicinal and protective pads with an area of ​​120 - 140 square meters. cm, which are applied diagonally to the body, for example, on the right shoulder and left hip. The procedure uses solutions of metal and non-metal ions. It lasts 20 minutes with breaks. The current density increases gradually, depending on the patient's condition.

The Ionic Collar technique is usually used to treat neuroses, hypertension, and chronic insomnia. You can get rid of the unpleasant manifestations of these diseases in just a few procedures. During these procedures, solutions of calcium, iodine, bromine or magnesium are used.

A medicated pad with the first electrode is applied to the neck and upper chest, and a protective layer of soft tissue is placed on top. The second electrode is installed in the area of ​​the lumbosacral spine, and the pad under the electrode is moistened with warm distilled water. During the procedure, two drugs from two ions with different charges are delivered to the body at once, each of which allows you to enhance the effect of the other.

For the treatment of various cardiovascular pathologies and neurological diseases, general electrophoresis using the Vermeule method is used. A medicated pad measuring 15 x 19 cm is impregnated with a medicinal solution and applied to the interscapular area. As a second electrode, two are used at once and installed on the back surface of the calves. The duration of one procedure is about 30 minutes. Depending on the patient's condition, the current density constantly increases.

In the treatment of neuritis of the facial or trigeminal nerve, as well as various diseases of the brain, physiotherapy with Bourguignon electrophoresis is especially effective. In this case, medicinal pads soaked in a medicinal solution are placed on the closed eyelids. The gasket for the second electrode is on the back of the neck. The procedure is carried out for half an hour at low current. In the complex treatment of stomach and duodenal ulcers, metabolic disorders, as well as inflammatory pathology of the brain, nasal electrophoresis is used. Cotton swabs soaked in a medicinal solution are inserted into both nostrils, and a second electrode is placed on the back of the neck. With the bath method, the drug solution itself is poured into a special container for electrophoresis, and the patient puts his hands or feet into it. This method is effective in the treatment of arthritis, polyarthritis and other joint diseases, as well as any pathology of the nervous system.

For the treatment of intervertebral disc herniation, electrophoresis with caripazim is successfully used, which is also carried out at the Kuntsevo Center. Karipazim is a natural herbal preparation that is obtained from the papaya tree. It contains biologically active substances - papain, chymopapin, proteinose, which have a positive effect on collagen cartilage tissue. That is why Karipazim is successfully used in the treatment of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as various forms of intervertebral hernias.

The method is also shown:

• as part of complex therapy of discogenic radiculitis;
• in the treatment of Schmorl's hernias;
• is prescribed for keloid scars, glenohumeral periarthritis, post-traumatic contractures (limited range of motion in the joints).

To prepare the medicinal composition, caripazim is dissolved in 5 - 10 ml of physiological solution. Add 2-3 drops of dimexide to the resulting composition. When treating an intervertebral hernia, a specialist soaks a medicated pad with a warm solution of Karipazim and applies it directly to the cervical vertebrae. A second pad soaked in aminophylline solution is placed on the shoulders or lower back. Another combination: a pad with karipazim is on the lower back, and a pad soaked in aminophylline is on the hips. The procedure is carried out within 10 - 20 minutes. One course of treatment, depending on the indications, can range from 15 to 20 sessions.

For successful treatment of a herniated disc, it is recommended to undergo 2-3 courses of treatment with electrophoresis with caripazim. The break between courses should be at least 1 - 2 months. As a result of treatment, it is possible to significantly weaken the impact of the hernia on the nerve and relieve pain. Karipazim effectively softens the hernia, so even with the chronic form of the disease, a complete cure is observed.

Contraindications:

Treatment with electrophoresis is an important stage in the complex therapy of various pathologies, however, there are a number of contraindications for its implementation:

• current intolerance;
• dermatological diseases, damage to the skin in the affected area (including eczema, dermatitis, purulent diseases);
• deficient conditions of the circulatory and urinary systems;
• presence of an electrical pacemaker;
• kidney disease;
• pregnancy;
• tuberculosis;
• allergic reactions to the drug;
• heart failure;
• malignant tumors.

It should also be remembered that children and the elderly should receive electrophoresis at a lower dose than an adult.

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Contraindications to electrophoresis

Iontophoresis with local anesthetics, such as novocaine, is not performed if the patient is prone to an allergy to the medication. In the modern world, allergies are ubiquitous and are the main limitation for the use of this treatment technique.

Other contraindications include the following diseases in the patient.

• The presence of infectious diseases occurring in an acute form.
• Skin lesions with the effect of the presence of pustular lesions.
• Severe myocardial diseases, heart failure.
• Bronchial asthma in a severe stage.
• Presence of malignant tumors.
• Radicular syndrome in the acute stage.
• Pregnancy is also a limitation for the use of electrophoresis for osteochondrosis. This especially applies to critical periods in fetal development and pregnancy itself. Scientific studies do not directly indicate that iontophoresis is harmful to the fetus, but this procedure is still not recommended for pregnant women. There is an assumption that small doses of drugs have a chance to enter the bloodstream through the placenta, which can negatively affect the development of the fetus.

Osteochondrosis, to varying degrees of severity, is present in most people after the age of forty. This is especially true for office workers and other people leading a sedentary lifestyle. The likelihood of this disease increases with spinal injuries, excess nutrition, and metabolic disorders. Electrophoresis has been a traditional method of treating osteochondrosis for many years. The technique shows excellent results and is gradually being improved more and more.

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Indications for the procedure

Electrophoresis will benefit people suffering from a variety of spinal diseases:

• osteochondrosis;
• herniated intervertebral discs;
• arthrosis;
• bursitis;
• tendenitis;
• tenosynovitis;
• protrusion of the vertebrae;
• neuralgia;
• neuritis;
• neuropathy;
• pain syndrome in the back area.

The use of spinal electrophoresis is possible both as an independent method of treatment and as an integral part of a set of measures intended for the rehabilitation of a patient after surgery.

During the procedure, several types of medicines are used: magnesia, aminophylline, karipain, karipazim.

The procedure lasts no more than a quarter of an hour. The course of therapy consists of 10-20 daily sessions (they can be carried out every other day).