Issue 24-5, 2025

Review

https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2025-24-5-73-83

Immunological Aspects of Physiotherapy According to the Latest Clinical Studies: a Review

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ORCID Dmitry A. Vologzhanin 3, ORCID Aleksandr S. Golota 3,*, ORCID Anna-Maria I. Ignatenko 3, ORCID Tatyana A. Kamilova 3, ORCID Denis V. Kovlen 2, Elena V. Usikova 3, ORCID Sergey G. Shcherbak 1,3

1 St Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2 S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia
3 City Hospital No. 40 of Kurortny district, Saint Petersburg, Russia


ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION.  Physiotherapy interventions are typically employed during the rehabilitation phase or as an adjunct to primary therapy, such as pharmacological or surgical treatment, for patients with chronic or acute conditions. Interest in the immunological aspects of physiotherapy is growing rapidly.

AIM.  To summarize the data on the immunological aspects of physiotherapy presented in foreign publications of the last five years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS.  The search was conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using the following keywords: physiotherapy, immunology, innate immunity, acquired immunity, cellular immunity, humoral immunity, and clinical trials. Following the application of the exclusion criteria, 66 studies were selected from the initial 207 articles that were retrieved.

THE MAIN CONTENT OF THE REVIEW.  Chronic diseases, as well as the consequences of traumatic injuries, are characterized by chronic inflammation and immune imbalance. Despite impressive clinical successes of rehabilitation, it is not always effective in some patients, which highlights the need to understand and overcome the mechanisms of therapeutic refractoriness. Like other therapeutic modalities, physiotherapy faces the challenge of predicting patient response to intervention. It is assumed that the beneficial effects of physiotherapy are related to its anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and antioxidant properties and synergistic effects on immune functions. Our review article provides a concise overview of clinical studies exemplifying such effects, demonstrating the influence of physiotherapeutic manipulations on the population structure of the immune system and cytokine secretion. The review material is structured according to the main methods of physiotherapy, such as traditional methods (massage, treatment with heat, cold, water, mud, ultrasound, laser, magnetic field, hyperbaric oxygenation, pelotherapy), as well as newer ones (thermal and mechanical ablation with high-intensity ultrasound).

CONCLUSION.  The materials presented in the review offer a novel insight into the potential of physiotherapeutic interventions on both innate and acquired immunity, as well as their cellular and humoral components. The present state of research in this area is at an early stage. Further large-scale clinical studies are needed to develop recommendations for the safe use of immunomodulatory physiotherapy in the context of specific pathologies. In addition, physiotherapists should acquire additional knowledge in the field of immunology, which is currently beyond their competence, to accurately interpret and use the data.


KEYWORDS: physiotherapy, immunology, innate immunity, acquired immunity, cellular immunity, humoral immunity, clinical research

FOR CITATION:

Vologzhanin D.A., Golota A.S., Ignatenko A. M.I., Kamilova T.A., Kovlen D.V., Usikova E.V., Shcherbak S.G. Immunological Aspects of Physiotherapy According to the Latest Clinical Studies: a Review. Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2025; 24(5):73–83. https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2025-24-5-73-83 (In Russ.). 

FOR CORRESPONDENCE:

Aleksandr S. Golota, Е-mail: golotaa@yahoo.com


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