Experimental study on the use of Tecartherapy® in reducing the viscoelastic component of spastic muscle in children affected by PCI
Infantile cerebral palsy (ICP) is a disorder caused by alterations in prenatal brain development, up to the initial postnatal period, which compromises movement and posture. While it is not a progressive disease, the symptoms can be counteracted with an adequate therapeutic action. When treating ICP children with Tecartherapy® and comparing the results with the stretching alone, an increase in the flexibility of the tibio-tarsal joint is observed. A remarkable fact emerging from the study is that the best results are obtained by treating younger subjects. Tecartherapy® can therefore be incorporated into traditional therapies, considering that the earlier the intervention is, the greater the effectiveness
Abstract Infantile cerebral palsy (ICP) is a persistent, non-progressive yet non-immutable disorder of movement and posture. It is due to an altered development of the brain for pre-peri- or post-natal causes, before completing the correct growth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Tecartherapy® in counteracting the shortening of spastic muscles in the ICP child, by modifying the viscoelastic component. In particular sural triceps is treated. 8 ICP patients (4 with diplegia, 1 with hemiplegia, 3 with tetraplegia) with a shortening of the muscular length of the tibiotarsal joint, caused by spasticity, were divided into two groups (HCR-treated and controls, treated with stretching alone). They were evaluated by joint measurement at the beginning, during and after the 6 months of treatment. Measuring the soleus length with flexed knee, a similar increase is observed in both in groups, while measuring the length of the gastrocnemius and the variation in the articular Range of Motion (ROM) with extended knee, a greater variation was detected in treated patients compared to controls. It was also noted that age is inversely proportional to the effectiveness. When acting on the soleus, it is necessary to use the resistive modality, which acts deeper, because of the anatomical position of the muscle and the slightly different histology, compared to the gastrocnemius.
Source: L. Musetti et al, Studio sperimentale sull'utilizzo della Tecarterapia nella riduzione della componente viscoelastica del muscolo spastico nel bambino affetto da PCI, 2008
Centro A.I.A.S. Busto Arsizio (VA)
Phantom limb pain: treatment with Tecar® therapy and TENS
The use of Tecartherapy has proven, with respect to TENS, a greater and more immediate therapeutic analgesic action in the short-term treatment of phantom limb pain.
Abstract This study was conducted at INAIL Prosthetic Centre in Vigorso di Budrio (Bologna), Italy in order to test the efficacy of TECAR® therapy in reducing phantom limb pain. Forty-one patients who had undergone amputation and were suffering from phantom-limb syndrome were divided into two groups, one treated with TECAR ® therapy and the other with TENS. The results showed an immediate and considerable therapeutic action of TECAR® therapy compared to the administration of TENS.
Keywords: Phantom limb syndrome, analgesia
Source: D. Orlandini et al, Arto fantasma doloroso: trattamento con tecarterapia e TENS, Centro A.I.A.S. Vigorso di
Budrio
Preliminary study on the effects of capacitive and resistive energy transfer therapy (Tecar®) on the treatment of hemiplegic painful shoulder
The treatment with Tecartherapy® is able to reduce pain in hemiplegic patients who suffer from painful shoulder. The recovery of limb mobility, although not significant from a statistical point of view, is evident from the clinical point of view. There are no differences with the TENS therapy in the short-term evaluation.
Abstract 70-84% of patients with hemiplegia complain of shoulder pain. This complication negatively interferes with the rehabilitation project and in general with the possibility of recovery. The aim of this study was to compare two different therapeutic protocols: a) Tecartherapy® and therapeutic exercise b) TENS and therapeutic exercise 18 patients were randomized into two groups. Pain is reduced in both groups, in a statistically significant manner. The passive range of motion of the shoulder joint is not statistically significant but clinically evident. No significant differences were found in the two groups, at an evaluation in the immediate post-treatment.
Source: C. Damiani et al, Studio preliminare sugli effetti del trattamento della spalla dolorosa dell’emiplegico con
terapia a trasferimento energetico capacitivo e resistivo (Tecar®), ISPRM: 4th World Congress of the International
Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine; 2007, Seoul (South Korea)