Use of thermotherapy, ultrasound and laser by practising physiotherapists. Physiotherapists' choice of treatment
Lambrechtsen, J.; Sørensen, H.G.; Frankild, S.; Rasmussen, G.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 154(21): 1478-1481
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 1598717 Document Number: 395921
The purpose of this examination was to examine the practising physiotherapist's way of treating patients with nine selected diagnoses (fibrosites, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cervical slipped disc, lumbar slipped disc, generalized lumbar/back pain, generalized bursitis, generalized tendinitis, and sprains). In addition, nine different forms of therapy were examined (hot packs, infra-red light, ice packs, short waves, microwaves, diadynamic current, ultrasound, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation and laser). All in all, 41 clinics with 2,018 treatment confrontations in the examination period, the last week of March 1990, took part in the survey. The majority of therapists were in possession of short wave, hot packs, ultrasound and laser which are also the four forms of therapy most frequently used for treatment. Compared to a Swedish examination from 1979, there is a doubling in ultrasound treatments from 24% to 48%, while the amount of short wave and microwave treatment remained unchanged. There was a remarkable variation in the physiotherapist's choice of therapy in each different diagnosed case. This can be due to the lack of specification of the diagnosis, so that different symptoms, course and stage of illness changed the treatment pattern elected.