Definition

A medical treatment that uses high-frequency electric currents to generate heat in body tissues, often for therapeutic or surgical purposes.

Example

The doctor recommended diathermy to help relieve the patient's muscle pain.

Conversation

I heard that diathermy can be really useful for muscle recovery.

Yeah, it's great for generating heat in the tissues.

I might try it after my workouts to speed up healing.

That's a smart idea! It really helps reduce soreness.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Diathermy is formed from "dia-" (meaning through) and "thermē" (meaning heat). The word describes a method of generating heat in body tissues through electric currents, effectively allowing heat to pass through the body.

Memory Tip

Think of 'heat' ('thermē') passing 'through' ('dia-') the body, which is what diathermy does.

Visually Confused Words