Deep Heat
Deep Heat
February 10, 2006
Author: Milton J Klein, DO, Consulting Staff, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sewickley Valley Hospital and Ohio Valley General Hospital
eMedicine.com
Deep heat causes a temperature rise from the conversion of energy into heat as it penetrates the tissues of the body where the energy is applied. Energy sources include (1) high-frequency currents (shortwave diathermy), (2) electromagnetic radiation (microwaves), and (3) ultrasound (high-frequency sound).
The temperature distribution in the tissues heated by any of these modalities is dependent upon the pattern of relative heating, which is the amount of energy converted to heat at any given location. The practitioner should choose a heating modality that produces the highest temperature at the site of concern without exceeding the temperature tolerance at the affected site or in tissues above or below that site. The temperature rise depends on the properties of the tissue, including specific heat, thermal conductivity, and the length of time the heat modality is applied.
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