Thermal Agents
The appropriate amount of layers to use when applying a moist hot pack.
What is 6-8?
Parameters to consider when using mechanical traction.
What is force hold/relax time?
This setting determines how fast ultrasound waves repeat and helps decide whether the treatment will be superficial or deep.
What is frequency?
The waveform of TENS.
What is biphasic assymetric?
A general contraindication that should be considered in the female patient population between the ages of 12 and 48.
What is pregnancy?
This modality is used for acute injuries and reduces nerve conduction velocity, helping decrease pain and swelling.
What are a cold pack and/or ice massage?
Amount of pull for joint distraction in the lumbar spine.
What is 50% of the body weight?
This duty cycle range (in %) is typically used when applying ultrasound for acute inflammation and tissue healing without heat
What is 20% (or pulsed ultrasound)?
What should be done with 2 electrodes to deliver a deeper treatment.
What is move them further apart?
A general contraindication for the utilization of an electrical physical agent with a cardiac patient.
What is the placement of a pacemaker?
This contraindication applies to both heat and cold modalities and interferes with the ability to sense temperature changes.
What is impaired sensation/mentation?
The hold /relax time for joint distraction in the cervical spine.
What is 15/15?
This frequency penetrates deeper tissues—up to 5 cm—making it ideal for treating structures like the piriformis or hip flexors.
What is 1 MHz?
This form of ESTIM is used to decrease pain by activating A-beta sensory fibers and stimulating the gate control mechanism.
What is conventional or high-rate TENS?
General contraindication that effects the patients ability to guide the intensity of treatment.
What is impaired mentation and sensation?
Mode of heat transfer for ultrasound.
What is conversion?
Treatment for a disc bulge at L4-L5.
What is 25% of the body weight, 60/20, 20-30 minutes, positioned at 90 degrees of lumbar flexion.
This treatment area guideline helps clinicians determine how long to perform ultrasound: treating a region no larger than 2–3 times this measurement.
What is the ERA (Effective Radiating Area)?
This parameter controls how fast the electrical pulses are delivered and influences whether a response is sensory, motor, or noxious.
What is frequency?
Appropriate action when a physical agent included on the plan of care is found to be a contraindication.
What is do not continue with the treatment and communicate with the Supervising PT ASAP?
The effect of superficial or deep heat on muscle strength and endurance.
What is decrease during the initial 30 minutes after application?
The mechanism by which traction helps a muscle spasm.
What is the pain-spasm-pain cycle is interrupted or reduction of the underlying cause of pain?
This ultrasound parameter must be adjusted when treating areas with increased absorption—such as tendon or scar tissue—to prevent overheating and maintain safe dosing.
What is intensity (or decreasing intensity for highly absorptive tissues)?
This ESTIM parameter combination—pulse duration, frequency, and amplitude—is MOST appropriate for maximizing motor unit recruitment during neuromuscular re-education of a small muscle while minimizing patient fatigue.
What are a longer pulse duration (125–200 µs)/ phase duration (65-100µs), a moderate frequency (35–50 pps), and the lowest amplitude needed for a strong, tetanic contraction?
Effects of physical agents that cause accelerated growth or metastasis of malignant tissue.
What are increased circulation or altered cellular function?