In recent years, this therapy has become increasingly popular in physiotherapy, especially in treating trauma and skeletal inflammation. This diffusion is the result of the properties that distinguish it and which represent its strengths: versatility of application, effectiveness (even in a few sessions), the pleasant sensation it generates and leaves in patients. But what exactly is Tecartherapy?
What are the benefits? What are the contraindications?
Tecar therapy, also called only Tecar (an acronym for Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer), is a relatively recent therapy that has taken hold lately. It is instrumental in eliminating pain and inflammation affecting the joints, muscles, and spine. Tecar is indicated for treating both acute and chronic problems and has shown itself to be particularly effective in treating joint and muscle pathologies, trauma, tendinopathies, pathologies of the nerves, pain, and inflammation of various kinds.
To perform its energy transfer function and produce the beneficial effects we have talked about, tecar therapy uses a particular machine (which generates a high-frequency magnetic field using the condenser principle) connected to a metal plate, which acts as a “Grounding” and closes the circuit, and a handpiece, which can be capacitive (consisting of a unique ceramic) or resistive (composed of a metal alloy), and which is passed by an expert on the area to be treated.
In the area between the plate and the handpiece’s cone of action, an energy flow is generated, precisely due to the effect of the magnetic field, which, passing through the tissues, heats them from the inside. This increase in temperature, defined as “endogenous” precisely because it develops from the inside and remains concentrated (the machinery is, in fact, able to stimulate the production of the internal heat of the body itself), triggers a cascade of beneficial reactions in the organism, which help to speed up the recovery process: the heat promotes vasodilation at the level of the blood and lymphatic vessels in the treated area, thus causing a greater flow of blood.
This concretely means that the body is helped and stimulated to heal itself by itself, as the resolution of the inflammatory process in progress and the disposal of its catabolites are made faster. The greater vascularization that is determined also favors tissue relaxation (especially the connective and muscular ones) and the drainage of swelling (edema and hematomas). All this determines the final result: the reduction of painful symptoms and the restoration of the treated area’s physiological functionality.
As we have mentioned, with the Tecar, depending on the handpiece used, you can work in two ways: capacitive and resistive. The first is used in case of soft tissue problems, such as muscles and connective tissue, blood, and lymphatic vessels. While the second is indicated in point, the problem is deeper or involving more complex or more resistant tissues, such as bones, cartilages or joints, fibrotic formations, and chronic scar tissue. Often, however, both methods are used alternately during a treatment.
On Tecar therapy we must therefore know that:
The big difference that Tecar therapy offers compared to other techniques in which the healing power of heat as it is generated directly inside the tissue (“endogenous” thermotherapy) and not conveyed from the outside the inside (as instead happens for the so-called “exogenous” therapies, such as, for example, laser therapy), so there is no dispersion, and the whole effect is concentrated in the area to be treated.
Tecar therapy can accelerate the body’s natural regenerative processes and, in particular cellular repairs. It can also reduce pain with the advantage of speeding up recovery from trauma or the problem that has affected the body.
Furthermore, Tecar is widely used in the treatment of athletes thanks to its remarkably rapid results.
Tecar therapy is able to:
A session usually lasts about 30 minutes, and it may be necessary, depending on the area to be treated and the acute or chronic situation, to do a cycle of 5-10 treatments. The benefits are noticeable, however, from the first treatment. As we have seen, the possible problems that can be treated with Tecar therapy are innumerable.
Of course, it must be performed by specialized personnel, who will assess the situation of the person as a whole and establish an appropriate therapeutic action plan. The technical professional will evaluate when and how to use this therapy, alone or in combination with others to enhance its effect (in our Physiokinetics center, for example, it is very often combined with laser therapy, and inserted in more articulated rehabilitation paths, which also include manual therapies and postural and rehabilitative gymnastics).
How the session takes place: the patient is made to lie down on a bed or comfortably positioned on a unique chair, depending on the area to be treated, which must be uncovered and easily accessible. At this point, the therapist places the plate (which closes the circuit) in a region suited to the area to be treated and distributes a creamy substance on the point of the body affected by the problem (called “conductive cream,” precisely because it is designed to facilitate the conduction of the heat).
Tecar therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment suitable for everyone since it does not have particular contraindications. Not recommended only for pregnant women.
The fast moving lifestyle in urban India is also spreading fast towards remote areas. Such erratic lifestyle demands human resources to take spine health for granted and engage in abrupt and rough physical movements. As a result Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) or injuries of muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage and spinal discs have become more common, especially in the working population.
Tecar therapy, an endogenous thermotherapy, has proven to be more effectual than other treatments, not only in MSD, but also in curing other body ailments. The balance between the therapist’s dexterity and special energy involved has made Tecar therapy in Chennai, successful and has accelerated its popularity in the city. The therapy is used in physical therapy, rehabilitation and pain management of bruises and sprains.
Tecar therapy treats diseases in acute and sub-acute phases, without increasing inflammation (which is usually susceptible to increase in temperature). The therapy is inclusive of two electric charge modes namely capacitive and resistive modes. Capacitive mode is used in tissues with higher electrolyte content such as soft tissues and muscles and resistive mode is employed on larger and more resistant tissues such as tendons, bones and articulations.
The nerve stimulation that the therapy causes stops nerves from worsening the initial pain, thus minimizing both inflammation and pain. Tecar therapy is popular among top athletes across the globe and effectually treats sports pathologies.
Tecar therapy with aid of these modes of energy transfer increase vasolidation and oxygenation besides increasing microcirculation and internal temperature. Such rise in energy reduces muscle spasms, promotes hemorrhagic re-absorption and activates major metabolic reactions.
Lower back pain has heterogeneity of causes and diagnosis could rarely be specific. Since tecar machine allows to measure the energy transferred, the same could be done without increasing temperature of the tissue.
Tecar therapy in Chennai enhances reconstruction of joints, muscles, tissues and cells besides healing ailments for long term benefits. The therapy offers 2X faster healing and has 97 per cent pain relief effectiveness.
The therapy treats lumbago or pain in lower part of lumbar vertebra area and relieves pain besides relaxing the muscles spontaneously. Being sedentary alleviates back pain and tecar therapy enables patients to move again effortlessly without any apprehensions.
Tecar therapy also treats pain in conditions such as disc herniation, disc bulge, disc dessication, disc rupture, disc protrusion, cervical spondylitis, lumbar PIVD, loss of cervical lordosis, loss of lumbar lordosis, sciatia, spinal canal stenosis, spondylosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, plantarfascitis, frozen shoulder, muscle sprains, ligament fractures and all major non-traumatic musculoskeletal painful conditions.
Dr Karunakaran Spine Center offers expert tecar therapy besides other spine treatments including discography, PRP method to treat discogenic issues, fusion techniques for spine, posterolateral gutter fusion surgery, posterior lumber interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) surgery, MISS technique, endoscopic surgery and scoliosis surgery.
Dr Karunakaran, backed by more than 22 years of experience, is prime surgeon in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) for spondylodiscitis and offers expert surgeries to heal bones, muscles and ligament damages.
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