TECAR Therapy (Diathermy)

TECAR Therapy at Spine Plus

At Spine Plus, all of our clinics provide TECAR Therapy to maximise recovery from pain and injury, reaching even the deepest, hardest-to-reach tissues. Our TECAR machines are top of the range, including the Medipharon 5 (by Medisport). These are extremely versatile machines that can help both acute and chronic injuries, involving a variety of different tissue types at various frequencies and depths.

What Is TECAR Therapy and How Does It Work?

TECAR involves passing a therapeutic radio-frequency electromagnetic current (RFEC) through the target tissues. This process:

• Speeds up the transportation of ionic substances
• Creates movement (rotation and oscillation) of compounds, especially water, sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride molecules
• Creates a therapeutic deep heating effect
• Increases blood flow and drainage
• Increases metabolic activity and positively influences cells involved in healing and the inflammatory response
• Produces changes in peripheral nerve conduction

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Medipharon 5 TECAR Therapy Safe?

Yes. It has been fully tested and certified as safe and therapeutic, with very few contraindications and a minimal risk of adverse reactions.

What Are the Contraindications?

• Cardiac pacemakers
• Suspected or obvious neoplasm (cancer)
• Hearing aids
• Uterine contraceptive devices
• Pregnancy
• Epilepsy
• Fever and infections

Is TECAR Therapy Painful?

No. It feels like a very pleasant warming massage sensation, not dissimilar to a heated stone massage. The difference is that with TECAR, the healing electrical pulses pass far deeper into the body.

How Does TECAR Compare to Shockwave Therapy?

The two modalities are very different. Shockwave uses mechanical forces (air pressure) to break down adhesions and calcified tissue and stimulate blood flow. TECAR uses electromagnetic waves aimed at the target tissues to produce heat, drainage and stimulate cells involved in inflammation and healing. The two treatments can be used together and complement each other. We have seen particular success with plantar fasciitis patients when TECAR is performed following shockwave therapy.

How Does TECAR Compare to Ultrasound?

Like shockwave, ultrasound uses mechanical forces to create movement of particles and tissues, but with much lighter forces, making it more appropriate in acute settings. TECAR can benefit both acute and chronic conditions, and penetrates considerably deeper than ultrasound.

Is TECAR Therapy Effective?

TECAR has well-established protocols for conditions such as neck and shoulder pain and tension, low back pain, sciatica, symptoms of arthritis in the knee and plantar fasciitis. We have found that chronic conditions such as arthritic knees and long-term back conditions (including mild spinal stenosis) have responded to TECAR where other treatments were struggling to help.

In our opinion, TECAR is a must-have treatment for any clinic serious about providing gold-standard back pain therapy and is the perfect adjunct to osteopathy, physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

Patients typically see improvements within just one or two sessions. Depending on your condition, you may require a monthly top-up as pain management for chronic conditions.

Conditions Treated with TECAR

• Neck and shoulder pain and tension
• Low back pain (lumbago)
• Sciatica
• Arthritis in the knee
• Plantar fasciitis
• Mild spinal stenosis
• Chronic pain conditions