The main effects of an electric current applied to body tissue are excito-motory, thermal, trophic, analgesic and chemical. A physical classification of electrotherapy can be made on the basis of the type of current used in the therapy:
1. DIRECT CURRENT
- Galvanic current: galvanization, iontophoresis
2. LOW FREQUENCY VARIABLE CURRENT
- Diadynamic current: single-phase, interrupted single phase, diphase, interrupted diphase, short and long diadynamic, isodynamic
- Electrolipolysis
- TENS
3. MEDIUM FREQUENCY VARIABLE CURRENT
- Interferential current: interferential, auto-scan interferential, isopotential interferential, manual directional field, automatic directional field
- Modulated medium frequency
- Träbert current
- Pulse trains
4. VARIABLE CURRENT MUSCLE STIMULATION ELECTROTHERAPY
- Normally innervated or re-innervating muscles: rectangular current, triangular current, Faradic current.
- Hypotrophic muscles: Kotz current