Vol 10, No 3 (2011)

The author substantiates the necessity of rehabilitation for the patients in the acute phase of a disease or during exacerbation of chronic pathology. General principles of application of physiotheratuetic modalities in such patients are considered. The original experience with the use of millimeter-wave (MMW) therapy for the treatment of complicated gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, acute pancreatitis, and acute stroke is described.

The present study involved 40 patients presenting with bronchial asthma. The results demonstrate a more pronounced beneficial action of the combined treatment using aerosol therapy and a heated helium/ oxygen mixture (heated heliox) on the respiratory system in comparison with inhalation therapy. A rationale has been developed for the application of the proposed therapeutic strategy to the management of patients with severe bronchial asthma.

A scheme of the two-stage rehabilitation of the patients presenting with acute sensorineural dullness of hearing has been developed. It includes pharmacotherapy, nivalin electrophoresis, multichannel electrostimulation with pulsed bipolar currents, vacuum massage, and laserotherapy. The use of this combined therapeutic modality permits to significantly improve the hearing ability and the general condition of the patients, normalize blood circulation and neuromuscular transmission, increase the duration of remission.

The serum alpha-defensin (HNP1-3) level in neutrophils obtained from patients presenting with lichen planus ruber was shown to undergo appreciable changes suggesting their involvement in pathogensis of this condition. The combined treatment using narrow-band middle and long wavelength radiation was shown to markedly reduce objective and subjective manifestations of lichen planus ruber and promote normalization of serum alpha-defensin levels.

The objective of the present work was to study the influence of low-intensity laser radiation on the state of vascular-thrombocytic and plasma hemostasis. It included 47patients aged from 20 to 65 years presenting with rheumatoid arthritis of 1 to 19 years in duration. The patients were allocated to two groups of which group 1 comprised those with grade I pathological process activity while group 2 included patients with grade II process activity. The patients of both groups were treated with low-intensity laser radiation (LILR). The major parameters estimated in all the patients were platelet aggregation and characteristics of plasma hemostasis. Patients showing grade II pathological process activity exhibited a significant enhancement of thrombocytic and plasma hemostasis compared with their counterparts with a lower activity. The combined treatment including low-intensity laser radiation resulted in a significant decrease of vascular-thrombocytic and coagulation hemostasis in the patients of either group compared with the respective initial values. It is concluded that the inclusion of low-intensity laserotherapy in the combined treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis permits to eliminate clinical manifestations of the disease with simultaneous improvement of vascular-thrombocytic and coagulation hemostasis.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of application of a traveling magnetic field as a method for the prevention of postpartum endometritis following cesarean section (CS) in 110 puerperant women at risk of development of this pathology. Sixty puerperants in group 1were managed using traditional intraoperative antibacterial prophylaxis supplemented by magnetotherapy starting from days 1 or 2 of the postoperative period. Fifty patients of the control group were given the standard intraoperative antibacterial prophylaxis alone. The results of clinical observations, ultrasound and laboratory studies along with the reduced frequency of complications give evidence of the efficacy of magnetotherapy applied for the prevention of postpartum endometritis following abdominal delivery.

This study was designed to demonstrate the possibility to apply a variety of physiotherapeutic methods for the treatment of postneuritic contracture of facial muscles. Both local application of physical factors (microwaves, ultrasound, low-frequency magnetic field, photo- and laserotherapy) and segmental reflexotherapy as well as general therapy (largely in the form of various balneotherapeutic procedures) are known to be used for the purpose. Recommendations are proposed to use different physiotherapeutic modalities taking into account the activity of a given pathological process and clinical characteristics of individual patients. Contraindications for the prescription of the above treatments for the patients with postneuritic contracture of facial muscles are specified.