Diathermy and short wave diathermy are described as heating which tissues?

• A. Superficial skin
• B. Deep muscle tissues
• C. Nerve fibers
• D. Bone marrow

Answer: (B)

Short-wave diathermy delivers electromagnetic energy that penetrates and heats tissues from the inside out, producing deep warming rather than just surface heat. The tissue that absorbs this energy most effectively is skeletal muscle, because muscle has high water and electrolyte content, making it more electrically conductive and able to convert the energy into heat deeply within the body. Superficial skin heats relatively less with this modality, and bone marrow is not heated efficiently because bone conducts and dissipates energy differently and is less responsive to this type of heating. Nerve fibers aren’t the primary heating target either. So the defining effect of diathermy at short wavelengths is deep heating of muscle tissue.