diathermy
American Heritage Dictionary:
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di·a·ther·my
(dī'ə-thûr'mē) 
n.
The therapeutic generation of local heat in body tissues by high-frequency electromagnetic currents.
diathermic di'a·ther'mic (-mĭk) adj.
n.
The therapeutic generation of local heat in body tissues by high-frequency electromagnetic currents.
diathermic di'a·ther'mic (-mĭk) adj.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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diathermy
Use of high-frequency electric current for deep heating of tissues in physical therapy. Shortwave, ultrasound, and microwave diathermy heat tissues at different depths for different purposes. Low heat warms tissue to ease muscle pain. Higher degrees of diathermy destroy tissue; this is useful in surgery, particularly on the eye or nerves, to coagulate, limit bleeding, and seal off traumatized tissues.
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Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary:
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diathermy
short wave diathermy; SWD
A form of heat treatment using high frequency electromagnetic currents. These cause molecules in deep tissue to vibrate, heating the tissues and increasing blood flow to them. Diathermy is used to accelerate recovery and reduce pain in sports injuries such as bursitis, strains, and sprains. It is not used on acute injuries where there has been recent bleeding.
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Form of heat treatment of which there are two main types: short wave diathermy and microwave diathermy. Short wave diathermy (SWD) uses a high frequency alternating electric current to produce wireless waves 11 m in length. These can penetrate deep structures in which they generate heat. SWD is used to relieve pain and accelerate healing of deep-seated sports injuries, such as chronic lesions in the hip joint. Microwave diathermy uses shorter wireless waves (in physiotherapy, 12.25 cm or 69 cm in length). Its depth of penetration is only about 3 cm so it can be used only on superficial structures. However, microwave diathermy has a greater heating affect on muscles than SWD, so it is particularly useful for treating small, subcutaneous muscle lesions. Like other forms of heat treatment, diathermy should not be used immediately after an injury when there is a haemorrhage. Protective goggles should be worn, and microwaves should not be applied to the genitalia.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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diathermy
diathermy (dī'əthûr'mē), therapeutic measure used in medicine to generate heat in the body tissues. Electrodes and other instruments are used to transmit electric current to surface structures, thereby increasing the local blood circulation and facilitating and accelerating the process of absorption and repair. Diathermy is used for arthritis, bursitis, and other disorders of the tendons and muscles, as well as for certain other conditions requiring tissue repair. Because of the high-frequency current used in shortwave diathermy, care must be taken to avoid burning the patient's skin or injuring the deeper tissues.
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:
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diathermy
The use of high-frequency electrical currents as a form of physical therapy and in surgical procedures.
Diathermy is used in physical therapy to deliver moderate heat directly to pathological lesions in the deeper tissues of the body. Surgically, the extreme heat that can be produced by diathermy may be used to destroy neoplasms, warts and infected tissues, and to cauterize blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding. The technique is particularly valuable in neurosurgery and surgery of the eye. See also electrosurgery.
- surgical d. — electrosurgery.
Mosby's Dental Dictionary:
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diathermy
(di′əthur′mē)
n
n
A generalized rise in tissue temperature produced by a high-frequency alternating current between two electrodes. The temperature rise is produced without causing tissue damage.
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categories related to 'diathermy'
- Procedures - diathermy: heating body part by exposure to high frequency current between two electrodes on skin, used to increase blood flow to relieve deep pain
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary
Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine
The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.
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Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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Saunders Veterinary Dictionary
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
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Mosby's Dental Dictionary
Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
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