What Conditions Diathermy Helps Treat

Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasm means the same thing as a muscle cramp. This happens when a muscle forcibly and rapidly has a contraction and then is unable to relax. Muscle spasms can occur in all or part of a single muscle, or they can occur in a number of muscles within a muscle group. Spasms of the muscles most often occur in the calves, hands, abdomen, thighs, foot arches, arms, and the ribcage. A muscle spasm can last anywhere between a few seconds to over fifteen minutes. An occasional muscle spasm is normal and usually does not cause enough distress to warrant medical treatment, however, some individuals suffer from chronic and frequent muscle spasms that need medical intervention. Shortwave diathermy is the best type of diathermy to treat muscle spasms, as it primarily acts on the deep structures called muscle spindles. When the muscle spindles are heated up using the shortwave diathermy approach, the processes of which convey messages to the spinal cord about the 'stuck' muscle tend to decrease. This causes the affected muscle to be able to relax.

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