Stimulation current therapy - effective electrotherapy for pain treatment and muscle stimulation
Stimulation current therapy is a proven component of modern electrotherapy. It uses targeted electrical impulses to promote healing processes, relieve pain and activate muscles. Special electrodes - such as plate, vacuum or adhesive electrodes - are used to transfer the stimulation currents directly to the tissue to be treated.
Depending on the form of current and individually selected parameters (pulse form, pulse duration, pause time, frequency, intensity), stimulation current therapy can achieve the following therapeutic effects, among others:
Classification of stimulation currents in electrotherapy
Medium-frequency current forms (2 - 9.5 kHz)
These forms of current generate their effect through modulated alternating currents that address particularly deep tissue layers - with minimal skin irritation. This ensures a high level of tolerance and acceptance among patients.
Examples of medium-frequency forms of stimulation current:
Note: While IF requires a cross technique with four electrodes, AMF, MT and KOTS can already be used with two electrodes due to pre-modulated signals.
Low-frequency forms of current (< 1000 Hz)
Low-frequency stimulation currents primarily affect structures close to the surface and are ideal for targeted muscle stimulation, pain relief and promoting blood circulation.
Typical low-frequency current forms:
Galvanic current - direct current with a deep effect
Galvanic current (G) is a constant direct current that is used to stimulate blood circulation, relieve pain and for iontophoresis. Medicinal substances can be effectively introduced into the tissue.
Special application: vocaSTIM for laryngeal nerve paresis
One particular area of application for stimulation current therapy is the treatment of laryngeal nerve palsies using vocaSTIM. This device combines diagnostics, therapy and therapy progress monitoring in a standardized procedure. Neuromuscular electro-phonatory stimulation (NMEPS) according to Pahn is based on the targeted electrical stimulation of damaged laryngeal muscles using intentional exercises: While the patient attempts to initiate a voluntary contraction, a suitable electrical impulse is simultaneously triggered via a hand-held button.
The treatment unit with vocaSTIM consists of two phases:
Effective diagnosis and therapy for vocal fold paralysis
Even before therapy begins, the individual stimulation current parameters are determined using simple but informative electrodiagnostics - in particular using the accommodation quotient (ACC). This procedure determines differences in the accommodation capacity between healthy and damaged nerve-muscle systems and enables the stimulation current impulses to be precisely adapted to the degree of damage.
The vocaSTIM-Master device has a user-friendly menu navigation for ACC determination as well as a foot switch control, which facilitates simultaneous laryngoscopy.
