Shot Wave Diathermy (SWD)

The applications of physics in the treatment using physiotherapy techniques are in numerous in number.  The treatment methodology is so easy and doesn't cause any pain to the patients. All equipment that is used in treatment has an underlying impact of the principle of physics.

The medical use of high frequency electrical currents has been traced back to 1892. In the same year in Paris, DARSONVAL passed a one ampere current at high frequency to himself. The similar amounts of electricity at low frequencies were known to be potentially fatal but high frequency gives a sensation of warmth. Subsequent work on high frequency current led to the development of inductive and capacitive methods to produce non-superficial heating. The method came to be known as “Diathermy” from the Greek meaning“Through Heating”.

A short diathermy current has a frequency of between 10⁷ and 10⁸ Hz and setup radio waves with a wavelength of between 30m and 3m. The use of any current within this range is called as “Short Wave Diathermy”, but that commonly used for medical work has a frequency of 27120000 Hz (27.12 MHz) and setup a radio wave with a wavelength of 11m. This current is generated in a machine circuit, which in turn is coupled to a patient (resonator) circuit, which is used to treat the patient, provide a suitable method of application is chosen. Shot Wave Diathermy provides as deep a form of heat as any available to the physiotherapist. It uses high frequency current for its usage.
Among the different equipment available for the treatment, the SWD device, though, a little bulky, has the blessing of quicker recovery of the patients. The reports of the case study indicate that SWD is the best method of treating the back pain, pain in motor region etc.
In the modern world, the treatment through physiotherapy is gaining importance. If the devices used for treating physiotherapy cases were designed in such a way that they support portability and make use of the many technological revolutions, based on principles of physics, the field of physiotherapy will grow rapidly and the percentage of recovery of the patients would also go high. These devices are useful to treat the problems of common people at low cost. By improving the techniques further, it will be possible to cure many complicated and chronic diseases effectively at low cost.