Influence of interferential current therapy with suction on intermittent claudication

Abstract EN

Twenty-five male patients, ranging in age from forty-five to sixty years, with chronic moderate stable peripheral vascular disease with calvesi intermittent claudication in both lower limbs without pain at rest were admitted to the study.

All patients were normotensive, without clinical history of coronary artery diseases, signs of cardiac failure or valvular heart diseases, or symptoms of cerebral vascular insufficiency and all of them were ex-smokers.

Prior to entry into the study, the procedures were explained to each patient and written informed consent was obtained from each patient.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interferential current therapy with suction on patients with intermittent claudication.

The interferential current therapy was applied for 20 minutes via four suction electrodes three times per week (day other day) for three months duration for each lower limb.

The ankle / brachial, pressure index, pain-free and maximal walking times were measured before beginning of treatment with interferential current with suction and once again after the end of three months of treatment.

The results showed that there are significant increases in ankle/brachial pressure index, pain-free and maximal walking times after treatment by interferential current with suction for three months.

These effects have been attributed to that interferential therapy can induce an increase in circulation by the withdrawal of sympathetic tone in the muscular coat of the small arterioles.