PTA 2200 & 2210
Therapeutic Modalities and Lab
This class introduced us to multiple types of modalities used in the treatment of physical therapy. I was surprised by how many there are, and was unaware of a number of them. We learned the physiological and therapeutic effects of the modalities, and when they are indicated for use, as well as when they should not be used. We then learned and practiced administering each of them.
The thing that struck me was the amount of therapeutic modalities used to change the temperature of the tissues and their effects. It was interesting to me because most people will ice a body part right after injury, or use a heating pad or warm bath when they have a chronic pain. These are things I've done many times before, without the knowledge of how they effect my body and why they work. We learned the reasons behind the use of heat and cold application, and how to choose which would be the best for a specific injury and patient. For example, Ice can help decrease pain and swelling, and causes a decrease in blood flow. Using different types of cold therapies is good for acute injuries. Heat also helps reduce pain, but causes an increase in blood flow; it should be used for sub-acute or chronic problems. Heat loosens up the fluid in joints to make them easier to move, cold stiffens joints; therefore, heat would be the option for treating arthritis that isn't inflamed. I learned a lot about how temperature changes within the tissues elicit different responses. I also learned how to administer some heat treatments that I had never seen before. We were taught about superficial types of heat treatments including, hot packs, paraffin, and fluidotherapy. We also learned about deep heat treatments like short wave diathermy and ultrasound. It was interesting to see the different modalities, and learn when to chose one over the other.
Another thing I learned in this class is the importance of a complete plan of care. While learning about each of the different modalities, it was always stressed that using the modality alone would not be enough for recovery. Many modalities help reduce pain and some increase joint or soft tissue extensibility. They are great tools to help the patient tolerate stretching and strengthening exercises, which are treatments that actually improve a patients health and functional ability.
The thing that struck me was the amount of therapeutic modalities used to change the temperature of the tissues and their effects. It was interesting to me because most people will ice a body part right after injury, or use a heating pad or warm bath when they have a chronic pain. These are things I've done many times before, without the knowledge of how they effect my body and why they work. We learned the reasons behind the use of heat and cold application, and how to choose which would be the best for a specific injury and patient. For example, Ice can help decrease pain and swelling, and causes a decrease in blood flow. Using different types of cold therapies is good for acute injuries. Heat also helps reduce pain, but causes an increase in blood flow; it should be used for sub-acute or chronic problems. Heat loosens up the fluid in joints to make them easier to move, cold stiffens joints; therefore, heat would be the option for treating arthritis that isn't inflamed. I learned a lot about how temperature changes within the tissues elicit different responses. I also learned how to administer some heat treatments that I had never seen before. We were taught about superficial types of heat treatments including, hot packs, paraffin, and fluidotherapy. We also learned about deep heat treatments like short wave diathermy and ultrasound. It was interesting to see the different modalities, and learn when to chose one over the other.
Another thing I learned in this class is the importance of a complete plan of care. While learning about each of the different modalities, it was always stressed that using the modality alone would not be enough for recovery. Many modalities help reduce pain and some increase joint or soft tissue extensibility. They are great tools to help the patient tolerate stretching and strengthening exercises, which are treatments that actually improve a patients health and functional ability.
