Ultra-shortwave diathermy - a new purported treatment for management of patients with COVID-19.

Ultra-shortwave diathermy - a new purported treatment for management of patients with COVID-19. Physiother Theory Pract. 2020 May 14;:1-5 Authors: Yu HP, Jones AY, Dean E, Liisa Laakso E Abstract The pandemic spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has driven efforts to address the global threat to public health and there is increasing pressure to exploit interventions to manage the pneumonic inflammation manifested in this disease. Ultra-shortwave diathermy (USWD) is proposed by some rehabilitation professions in China, purportedly to minimise pneumonic inflammation. However, treatment of any symptomatic pneumonia should be evidence-based. There is no valid evidence, published in English, which establishes any benefit of USWD in pulmonary conditions, let alone COVID-19. The need for rigorous research and evidence-based practice is discussed in this article. Novel interventions require a solid physiological basis and must undergo rigorous testing prior to clinical adoption even during a pandemic. We are of the view that deployment of USWD in patients with COVID-19 must be prudent and supported by a logical scientific basis. PMID: 32406778 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice - Category: Physiotherapy Authors: Tags: Physiother Theory Pract Source Type: research