• Ice packs (10-20 minutes)

• Commercial cold packs (10-20 minutes)

• Ice massage (5-10 minutes)

Indications:

• Acute or chronic pain

• Acute edema

• Acute bursitis or tendinitis

• Muscle spasms

• Acute ligament sprain

• Acute muscle strain

• Tenosynovitis

Contraindications:

• Raynaud’s disease

• Circulatory compromise

• Peripheral vascular disease

• Open wound

• Infection

• Skin anesthesia

• Cold intolerance or hypersensitivity

Precautions:

• Over a superficial nerve

• Hypertension

• The very young or very old

• Impaired cognition

• Hot packs

• Paraffin bath

• Contrast bath

• Fluidotherapy

Indications:

• Subacute and chronic inflammation

• Subacute and chronic pain

• Decreased range of motion

• Muscle spasms

• Muscle guarding

• Subacute ligament sprain

• Subacute muscle strain

Contraindications:

• Acute musculoskeletal conditions

• Impaired circulations

• Peripheral vascular disease

• Skin anesthesia

• Malignant tumors

• Open wounds

Precautions:

• Pregnancy

• Cardiac insufficiency

• Poor temperature regulation

• The very young or very old

• Edema

• Demyelinated nerves

• Areas with counterirritants applied

• Impaired mental state

• Transducer and cooling agent gel

• Frequently moved around area

• Frequency: 1 MHz or 2 MHz; affects depth of tissue healing

• Duty Cycle: 20%, 50%, 100%; affects array of thermal and nonthermal effects

• Intensity: 0.1 to 2.5 W/cm^2

• Time: up to 15 minutes

  
  

Indications:

• Soft tissue healing and repair

• Scar tissue

• Joint contracture

• Chronic inflammation

• Increase blood flow

• Bone healing

Contraindications:

• Decreased temperature sensation

• Decreased circulation

• Eyes

• Reproductive system

• Pregnancy

• Pacemaker

• Malignancy

• Total joint replacement

• Infection

Precautions:

• Fracture

• Bony prominences

• Transdermal drug delivery system using high electric current

• Followed by soothing lotion

Indications:

• Local anesthetics

• Anti-inflammatory agents

Contraindications:

• Pregnancy

• Pacemakers

• Cardiac arrhythmia

• Diabetes

• Impaired sensation

• Skin lesions

Precautions:

• Can cause burns and skin damage

• Non-invasive light source treatment

Indications:

• Osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Shoulder impingement

• Bursitis of hip/shoulder

• Sciatica

• Tendinitis

• Lymphedema

• Tennis elbow

Contraindications:

• Pregnancy

• Malignancy

• Eyes

• Epilepsy

Precautions:

• All eye exposure should be avoided for patient and clinician

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)

• Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)

• Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)

Indications:

• Edema

• Muscle spasms

• Wound/fracture/tendon/ligament healing

• Muscle reeducation

• Lymphatic circulation

• Acute and chronic pain

Contraindications:

• Pacemaker

• Infection

• Malignancy

• Pregnancy

• Thrombosis

Precautions:

• Impaired sensation

• Impaired cognition

• Cardiac disease

• Skin irritation or open wounds

• Increases external neuromuscular feedback

• Biomechanical

• Physiological

Indications:

• Chronic pain

• Constipation and other bowel/bladder issues

• Fibromyalgia

• Insomnia and other sleep issues

• Anxiety

Contraindications:

• Severe psychosis

• Pacemakers

Precautions:

• Receptive aphasia