TECAR Therapy at KINETIKA
TECAR therapy, Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer, is an advanced electrotherapy modality that uses high-frequency electromagnetic energy to generate heat within deep tissue structures. Unlike superficial heat packs or infrared lamps, TECAR’s energy penetrates deep to target muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments from the inside out, stimulating the body’s natural repair processes.
How TECAR Works
TECAR devices operate at radiofrequency (300 kHz, 1 MHz) and use two electrode modes:
- Capacitive mode (CAP), targets superficial, high-water-content tissues including muscle, fluid-rich compartments, and inflammatory lesions. The current concentrates in the layer between the active electrode and the return plate, producing heat in the superficial tissue layers.
- Resistive mode (RES), targets deeper, low-water-content tissues including tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. The energy passes through the tissue, with heat generated at the points of highest electrical resistance.
Your therapist alternates between CAP and RES modes throughout the session, targeting the specific tissue layers relevant to your condition.
Therapeutic Effects
- Increased local circulation and oxygen delivery to healing tissue
- Accelerated removal of metabolic waste products from injured tissue
- Reduction of oedema and post-injury swelling
- Pain relief through thermal and neurological mechanisms
- Improved tissue extensibility, enhancing the effect of subsequent manual therapy and exercise
- Promotion of collagen remodelling in chronic tendon and ligament pathology
Conditions We Treat
TECAR therapy is particularly effective for:
- Acute and subacute muscle injuries and strains
- Tendinopathies and chronic tendon pathology
- Post-surgical rehabilitation
- Joint capsule restrictions and osteoarthritis
- Chronic back and neck pain with myofascial involvement
- Sports injuries requiring accelerated return to performance
What to Expect
TECAR produces a comfortable deep warmth, most patients find the sensation pleasant. Sessions typically last 20 to 30 minutes and are often combined with manual therapy immediately after, capitalising on the tissue extensibility created by the thermal effect. TECAR is safe and well-tolerated across a wide range of patients, including those with chronic pain who may not tolerate high-load manual techniques.
