SHORTWAVE DIATHERMY Background A 41-year-old male with a documented history of right knee osteoarthritis comes to your clinic with a history of increasing pain and swelling over the past 2 months....

SHORTWAVE DIATHERMY

Background A 41-year-old male with a documented history of right knee osteoarthritis comes to your clinic with a history of increasing pain and swelling over the past 2 months. Gait endurance is beginning to decline. The referral was to initiate quadriceps strengthening, joint protection activities, and gait training as indicated.

Impression Degenerative joint disease with concurrent muscle inhibition and atrophy.

Treatment Plan The patient received 15 minutes of capacitive shortwave diathermy prior to initiating quadriceps exercise. He reported short-term relief, which allowed for the performance of his exercise program.

Treatment was provided on a twice per week outpatient basis with the patient given specific instructions in the performance of home lower extremity closed-chain exercises two other times per week. At the tenth visit the patient was discharged as he was adequately self-managing his condition.