Physical Medicine Therapies for Human Health, Function, and Quality of Life

Dear Colleagues,

Contemporary physical medicine is an integral part of evidence-based medicine, grounded in high-quality clinical research. It encompasses a wide spectrum of specialized therapies that employ physical agents, including electrotherapy, phototherapy, ultrasound, and vibrotherapy. These modalities modulate pain processing, support tissue healing processes, and influence neuromuscular activity, therefore promoting the restoration of physical function across a wide range of clinical conditions.

Properly planned and methodically applied physical medicine procedures, individualized for each patient, play a crucial role in the comprehensive rehabilitation process. Achieving such outcomes requires precise selection and adjustment of therapy parameters, taking into account clinical presentation, stimulus tolerance, and therapeutic goals. As a result, physical medicine therapies can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in patient functioning, an increase in activity, and enhanced participation in daily life, as well as beneficial changes in patients’ quality of life.

Despite its well-documented potential, physical medicine still tends to be underestimated in many healthcare systems and is often regarded as an adjunctive treatment rather than an integral component of therapeutic management. This Special Issue will highlight clinical value and innovation in the field of physical medicine by bringing together studies that evaluate therapeutic protocols, clinical outcomes, and their impact on patients’ health, functioning, and quality of life.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Physical medicine therapies for acute and chronic pain;
• Electrotherapy and neuromodulation, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), high-voltage stimulation (HVS), and related techniques;
• TENS-based analgesia: protocols and clinical outcomes;
• Clinical applications of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) for muscle performance, function, and recovery;
• Phototherapy (e.g., laser therapy);
• Ultrasound therapy and combined physical modalities (e.g., simultaneous application of ultrasound and electrical stimulation);
• Vibration therapy and deep oscillation;
• Parameter-driven and protocol-optimized approaches in physical medicine;
• Individualized, patient-centered applications of physical medicine therapies;
• Effects of physical medicine therapies on quality of life;
• Safety, tolerability, and clinical decision-making in physical medicine;
• Integration of physical medicine into comprehensive rehabilitation programs.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Joanna Witkoś
Dr. Magdalena Hartman-Petrycka
Guest Editors

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