Key concepts with electrophysical agents

Electrotherapy and electrophysical agents are considered synonymous terms by some therapists, but strictly speaking, electrotherapy should properly be reserved for the specific application of electrical energy to the tissues. Electrophysical agents include other energy forms such as sound, light, thermal, and mechanical energies, and is therefore a broader and more acceptable term which reflects current clinical practice. The application of energy to the tissues will bring about both physiological and therapeutic effects.