[Advances in the physical therapy of pain in rheumatology.]

The analgesic effectiveness of physical therapy in rheumatology is dependent on the differentiated clinical picture (joint, soft parts, spinal column, musculature) and on the differentiated therapeutic remedy (intensity, duration of single treatments, frequency, duration of therapeutic series). Physico- and kinesitherapy can be distinguished with regard to objective and subjective doses; manual therapy is between them. During the last decade, particular advances were achieved in the field of medical gymnastics (muscular stretching technique), patients' schools (back school) and of cryotherapy (cold-air therapy). The pulsed high-frequency therapy and particularly laser therapy, magnetic-field therapy and high-voltage therapy are critically judged. The problem "rheumatism and pain" mainly exists at the level of "chronic"; diagnostics of movement function (articular and muscular functions) on one hand and dosage of therapeutic remedies (drugs and remedies of physiotherapy) on the other are the guidelines. Course (rehabilitation) as well as onset (prevention) of rheumatic clinical pictures determine the further strategy of pain therapy.