PTA 105 - Physical Agents I

Credits: 1
Instructional Contact Hours: 1

Provides the theory and principles of modalities including, but not limited to, hydrotherapy, therapeutic massage, thermal agents, cryotherapy and ultrasound. Prepares the student to perform therapeutic interventions under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist.

Prerequisite(s): PTA 101, PTA 101LW, PTA 103, PTA 110, PTA 110L, PTA 118, PTA 121 each with a minimum grad of “C” (2.0).
Corequisite(s): PTA 102, PTA 105LW, PTA 120, PTA 120L, PTA 123LW, PTA 123W, PTA 124, PTA 125, PTA 125LW
Lecture Hours: 15 Lab Hours: 0
Meets MTA Requirement: None
Pass/NoCredit: No

Outcomes and Objectives

Describe how various physical agents affect human tissue.
1. Differentiate between treatments that affect superficial and deep tissues of the human body.
2. Compare and contrast the different modes of heat transfer including evaporation, convection, conduction, radiation, and conversion.
3. Identify common physical agents and their mode of heat transfer.
4. Identify appropriate patient positioning based on a patient case and physical agent selection.
Describe the application of moist heat to patient care.
1. List the physiological effects of heat.
2. Explain the indications, contraindications, and precautions for use of moist heat with patients.
3. Describe the mode of heat transfer that occurs with moist heat.
Describe the application of cryotherapy to patient care.
1. List the physiological effects of cold.
2. Explain the indications, contraindications, and precautions for use of cryotherapy with patients.
3. Describe the mode of heat transfer that occurs with cryotherapy.
4. Discuss the physiological effects of contrast bath use on human tissue.
Explain the application of ultrasound to patient care.
1. List the physiological effects of ultrasound.
2. Explain the indications, contraindications, and precautions for ultrasound use with patients.
3. Describe the mode of heat transfer that occurs with ultrasound.
4. Differentiate between the use of continuous versus pulsed ultrasound duty cycles and its effect on human tissue.
5. Explain the rationale for selection of different size ultrasound heads.
6. Differentiate between the use of 1MHz and 3MHz frequencies and its effect on human tissue.
7. Compare the indications, contraindications, and precautions for use of different mediums utilized with ultrasound including gel, water, lotion, and medicated cream.
8. Describe effective radiating area (ERA) and beam nonuniformity ratio (BNR).
Explain the application of therapeutic massage to patient treatment.
1. Define massage.
2. State the physiological theory behind massage.
3. Describe each of the following massage techniques and its effect on human tissue:
  1. effleurage
  2. petrissage
  3. friction massage
  4. myofascial trigger point release
  5. sub-occipital release
4. List the indications, contraindications, and precautions for massage use in humans.
5. Compare and contrast each of the medium options for massage:
  1. lotion
  2. oil
  3. powder
  4. medicated creams
Describe the application of paraffin to patient treatment.
1. Define paraffin.
2. Explain the theory of paraffin.
3. List the physiological effects of paraffin.
4. Explain the indications, contraindications, and precautions for paraffin use with patients.
Describe the application of hydrotherapy to patient treatment.
1. Define hydrotherapy.
2. Describe hydrotherapy equipment and the rationale for its use.
3. List the physiological effects of hydrotherapy.
4. List the indications, contraindications, and precautions for hydrotherapy use with humans.
5. List the specific temperature protocols for various diagnoses encountered in physical therapy.
6. Recognize the need for direct versus indirect agitation in various diagnoses/conditions.
Explain the application of aquatherapy to patient treatment.
1. Discuss the properties of water and the clinical relevance of these properties for physical therapy treatments including:
  1. buoyancy
  2. specific gravity
  3. hydrostatic pressure
  4. viscosity
2. Describe the benefits of buoyancy on early weightbearing for various conditions.
3. Compare various water depths and estimated percentage of body weight placed on the lower extremities with progression of treatment.
4. Discuss the parameters of the aquatic environment for optimal therapeutic benefit.
5. Discuss the overall physiological effects of aquatherapy on the body.
Appraise current physical therapy literature related to the use of physical agents.
1. Locate professional journal articles that have determined the effectiveness of various agents used currently in the physical therapy setting.
2. Translate current literature into a 2-3 page paper.
Discuss potential legal or ethical issues.
1. Identify an appropriate response to each legal/ethical clinical issue discussed in class.