Preliminary communication
MODULA TED CURRENT IN FIGHTENG PHANTOM P AINS IN PATIENTS WITH AMPUT ATED LIMBS
A. BLAŽEVIĆ
; Institut za fizijatriju i rehabilitaciju Ilidža· Sarajevo
Emina HALILOVIĆ
; Institut za fizijatriju i rehabilitaciju Ilidža· Sarajevo
Abstract
Each amputation means for our patient an irreparable loss of a part of the body
or the whole extremity like for instance exarticulation in the shoulder or hip. In
some cases these patients suffer from so called phantom pains which they feel in
the missing part of the extremity and mostly in the dis tal parts (fingers, fee t, hands).
These pains have a hard psychological effects upon our patients.
In order to tessen this phantom pain we observed the effect of modulated
currents during the physical therapy used on our patients. For electrotherapy with
low frequency current we used specially made electrode of conductive rubber with
low specific resistance in the shape of hemisphere, made to the size of the stump,
which was put over a wet cotton sock placed on the stump and connected it to the
source of electricity. The indiferent electrode was on the other leg. We made the
individual choice of parameters both of frequency (80-120 Hz), duration of the
impulses (up to 10 ms) and the current intensity (up to 12 mA), until we obtained
the analgetic effect. The treatments lasted lO- 15 min a day, within 1-l-21 days.
Along with analgetic, this therapy affects the vasodilatation of the st um p.
Counterindications (unwanted effects) for this way of therapy are stumps with
skin defect of ulceration.
The first opinons concerning the lessening of the phantom pa ins - according to
individual appraisal of the patients - achieve-d through the elect rode modelled to fil
each stump and using low- frequency electrotherapy by means of modulated
impulses are satisf}ing.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
142799
URI
Publication date:
5.6.1990.
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