Interferential current

1. INTERFERENTI
AL
CURRUENTS
SUBMITTED BY:
HEMANT AGGARWAL
MPT(ORTHO)

2. INTRODUCTION:
 IFT is the the transcutaneous application of two
alternating medium frequency electrical currents
which are slightly out of phase,causing amplitude
modulation at low frequency used for therapeutic
purposes
 It is produced by interference of two medium frequency
currents(1000 to 10,000 Hz)
 In 1950,developed by Dr. Hans Nemac in Vienna
&become popular in UK DURING 1970s

3. WHY IFT?
 Since direct application of low frequency currents results
in pain due to high impedence of tissues and IFT reduces
this impedence. Hence,do not produce any sensory
nerve irritation
f=frequency of current
Z= Impedence of tissues
C= capacitance
 It can be used for deeper layers of tissues.For example,
in muscles, tendons, nerves, bursae and periosteum.
Unlike galvanic,which has more reaction in the skin and
subcutaneous tissues, IFT is harmless

4. Principle:
 The Interferential therapy depends upon the
principles of Interferential effect of two
medium frequency currents crossing in the
patient’s tissues.
 The interference produced by two currents in
the tissues is called the Beat frequency.

5. Cont.
 For example, let us take two medium frequency
currents, current in circuit A = 4000 Hz and circuit
B = 3900 Hz (Carrier Frequencies)
 Where these two currents are applied to the
tissues, at the point where the currents cross over,
a new beat frequency current is set up whose
amplitude is modulated and the frequency of new
current is called Beat frequency (interferential
current) and that is 100 Hz

7. Cont.
 Out of these two medium frequency currents one
current is always of 4000 Hz because there is minimum
impedance generated by the tissues against this
frequency current.
 By varying the frequency of the second channel relative
to the constant frequency of the first, this is possible to
produce a range of beat frequencies deep in the
patient’s tissues. Thus, it is possible to produce any
desired frequency in the range of 1–250 Hz by varying
the frequency difference of the carrier currents

8. Physiological Effects:
 Relief of pain: A frequency of 80–100 Hz rhythmic is
usually chosen for this effect, as the problem of
accommodation is reduced
 Motor stimulation:At low frequencies a twitch is
produced, between 5 and 20 Hz a partial tetany, and
from 30 to 100 Hz a tetanic contraction. A complete
range of all these types of muscle contraction can be
seen when a rhythmical frequency of 1–100 Hz is used

9. Cont.
 Absorption of exudates: a frequency of 1–
10 Hz rhythmic, as a rhythmical pumping
action is produced by muscle contraction this
helps in absorption of exudates and thus
reduce swelling

10. Indications:
 Pain relief
 Odema relief
 Stress incontinence
Contraindications:
 Hemorrage
 Skin infection
 Malignancy
 Deep Vein Thrombosis

11. Modes of IFT:
 Vector Mode: used for diffuse area of
pathology where the accuracy of lesion is
doubtful and producesa scanning movement
of IFT
 Quadripolar: 4 pole IFT
 Bipolar: 2 pole IFT

12. Article Topic:
The effects of abdominal interferential
current therapy on waist circumference and
visceral fat distance in obese women

13. Researchers:
1)Young-Han Park, PhD
Department of Physical Therapy, Korea National
University of Transportation, Republic of Korea
2)Jung-Ho Lee, PhD
Department of Physical Therapy, Kyungdong University:
Bongpo-ri, Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do,
Republic of Korea
Publishing House:
The Journal of Physical Therapy Science
Date of Publishing:
Jun. 20, 2017

14. AIM:
 To investigate the effects of interferential
current therapy on the waist circumference
and visceral fat length in obese women

15.  Methodology:
Sample Size-30 Subjects(Random)
 Group1: interferential current therapy three times a
week for four weeks (n=15)
 Group2: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
three times a week for four weeks (n=15)

16. Selection creteria:
 patients whose BMI was over 25 kg/m2
 subjects not taking medication for diabetes,
endocrine disease, renal dysfunction, oral
contraception, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia
 whose Beck Depression Inventory score was
over 16

17. Tool:
 Bioimpedance Analysis Method and InBody 3.0 machine
for BMI mesurement
 Beck Depression Inventory Score
 IFT device
 Tape for measurement of waist circumference
 B-mode ultrasound machine for measuring visceral fat
length
NOTE: The visceral fat length was defined as the length
from the inner surface of the abdominal wall to the
anterior wall of the aorta

18. Procedure:
Group1:
An interfering current therapy device (Nemectron
GmbH, Germany) was used as follows:
 cuffs were wrapped around the participant’s
abdomen during 45-minute sessions, three times
a week, (a total of 12 times for 4 weeks)
 The program configuration was applied for 5
minutes at the IFT of 3 Hz, then 30 minutes at 50
Hz, and 10 minutes at 10 Hz

19. Group2:
TENS was applied to the abdomen using a low-
frequency electrical stimulator (STT-100,
Stratek, Korea). The stimulation parameters of
the triangle wave were applied at 100 Hz three
times a week, once for 45 minutes (for 4 weeks)

20. Results:
 The length of the waist circumference was statistically
significant in all groups in the pre- and post-evaluations
(p<0.05)
 There was also a statistically significant difference
between the group of waist circumference and the
change of waist circumference was larger the
experimental group than the control group (p<0.05).
The length of the visceral fat was statistically significant
in the pre- and post-evaluations (p<0.05)

21. Cont.:
 There was a statistically significant difference
between the group of visceral fat length, and
the change of visceral fat length was larger
the experimental group than the control group
(p<0.05)

22. Discussion:
 Currently, clinical treatment for obesity includes drug
therapy, lipolysis, IMS, electrotherapy (mid-frequency
and lowfrequency), and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Physical therapy for obesity management has long
been applied via water therapy, electrotherapy, and
stimulation therapy.
 However, as the application of exercise programs due
to busy daily lives becomes difficult, obesity
management using electrotherapy has begun to attract
attention

23. Cont.:
IFT for obesity management is a non-invasive
method, and the higher the frequency, the less
capacitance resistance (i.e., the current can
easily pass through the skin). Based on the
above description, interferential wave therapy
can stimulate internal tissues effectively, with
less irritation to the skin compared to low-
frequency currents

24. Cont.:
Limitation:
 The limitations of this study consisted of fewer
subjects and shorter treatment intervention
periods (4 weeks).
 It would be difficult to generalize the results of the
study because they represent evaluations of waist
circumference and length of abdominal visceral fat
only.
 Because the duration of the treatment intervention
was only 4 weeks, we were unable to determine
the long-term effects of therapeutic intervention