What is Winback Radiofrequency?

Indiba and Winback.....what are they and why you need to know

Indiba and Winback are both companies who have developed a way of providing radiofrequency TECAR therapy that can be applied to animals aswell as humans. It has three main functions- eliminate pain, restore movement and speed up healing and recovery. It does this through transferring radiofrequency (energy) via capacitive or resistive electrodes (TECAR- transfer of energy capacitive and resistive). While Indiba is probably more commonly known now as its been out longer, you will likely start to hear more about Winback and they have lots of exciting developments planned too!

Indiba works from a single frequency- 448kHz which they state is the 'optimum' for tissue repair. Winback however have developed this even further and provide a machine that can produce from 300kHz to 1000kHz which basically means we can treat tissues at various depths- soft tissue such as fascia, muscle and lymphatic tissues right down to tendons, ligaments and bone. There is also the option to add in different frequencies at the same time with EMS (electrical muscular stimulation) and TENs which optimises muscle function and pain relief.

What does it feel like?

In most cases all you will feel is a relaxing warming sensation which really helps in reducing tension and alleviating pain. For conditions such as tendon and ligament injuries we want to avoid heating up the tissues and so a lower setting that doesn't generate heat is used. When using the EMS (muscle stimulation) setting you will feel (and see) the muscles contracting. The intensity will vary between the settings needed for what we are trying to achieve ie stimulating muscle activity or reducing tension. For the TENs setting you will feel a tingling sensation which again can vary in intensity.

What can it help with?

It would probably be easier to list what it can't help with although there isn't much from what I've found so far. As already mentioned it can treat everything from fascia and muscles to tendon and ligaments to bone. For conditions it can help with arthritis, fracture healing, muscle soreness, nerve damage, equine head shaking, tendon and ligament injuries, spinal injuries, scar healing, post operative recovery and so much more. It really is an amazing piece of equipment!

How long before I start to see results?

This will vary depending on the condition being treated but can be anything from immediate results to a few weeks. With settings that generate heat and particularly for muscle soreness you will usually feel immediate results including reduced pain and improved mobility. The warming sensation typically lasts for up to 3hr following treatment and effects of the treatment can continue to develop over the next 48-72hrs. In most cases a number of sessions (typically 4-6) are delivered over a 4-8 week period to get on top of the condition and then if maintenance sessions are required ie for arthritis, then treatments are usually every 1-2 months to maintain long term benefits from the therapy.

Using the Winback in practice

I have had the unit for almost 4 months now and it has been a big learning opportunity! Having used many different electrotherapy units before this one is certainly a big step up and there are so many different treatment options with it, I'm sure I will continue learning for some time. I completed 2 in person trainings for the use on people and animals and looking forward to the conference later in the year. So far I have used it on people, horses and dogs. For people I have mainly been using it for back, shoulder and neck pain, post operative healing for ankle fractures and sciatica. In dogs I am using it for arthritis and poor mobility and in horses I've been using it for neck stiffness, muscular tension, hock arthritis, annular ligament injuries and lots of suspensory injuries! I recently had feedback on some of the suspensory and annular ligament cases and the vets were really pleased with their progress.

Summary

Overall I am really impressed with the Winback! The customer service and educational support is brilliant. The unit is updating and developing all the time in a way that doesn't require me to replace the unit. It's non invasive, pain free and the feedback from people is that it feels amazing with the heating effect. The unit gives me the ability to treat the whole body from the skin right down to the bone meaning I can help more people and animals recover and feel at their best. I am very excited to keep learning and developing my skills with it!

Beka