Tecar therapy is a high-frequency treatment used in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. It is applied through a handpiece over the affected area, usually while the therapist works the tissue or guides movement, and it is generally comfortable — most people describe a mild warmth.
What it is used for
At APARC, Tecar is used as part of treatment for musculoskeletal pain and stiffness — back and neck problems, joint and tendon pain, and stiffness following injury or surgery. It sits alongside our other physical modalities, including Class IV laser, low-level laser and extracorporeal shockwave therapy. You can see the full range of rehabilitation technology at APARC.
How it fits into a treatment plan
Tecar is a component, not a treatment in itself. It is used to make hands-on work and exercise more effective and more tolerable — for example, to reduce guarding before mobilising a stiff joint. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at assessment, and it is always paired with active rehabilitation rather than given on its own.
Practical questions
Sessions are typically short and form part of a normal appointment. There is no recovery time afterwards and you can go straight back to your day. Your physiotherapist will tell you how many sessions are likely to be useful after assessing you, and current fees are confirmed when you book.
What it is doing
Tecar passes a high-frequency current between a handpiece and a return electrode, and the tissue between them warms as it resists that current. The warming is generated inside the tissue rather than applied to the skin from outside, which is why it can be felt at depth while the surface stays comfortable.
The practical consequence is the part that matters to you: warm tissue is more willing to move. That is why it is generally used immediately before or during hands-on work and exercise, rather than as a standalone session you lie still for.
Honest expectations
Tecar is a useful adjunct. It is not a cure for a structural problem, and it does not replace the strengthening and movement retraining that resolve most musculoskeletal complaints. If you are offered it as a course on its own, without exercise, you are being offered less than you need. At APARC it is always attached to active rehabilitation.
Who it may not suit
Because it works by passing current through tissue, your physiotherapist will ask before using it about pacemakers or other implanted electrical devices, metal implants in the area, pregnancy, active cancer, active infection, recent bleeding or clotting problems, and any area where sensation is reduced — since normal sensation is how you tell us it is too warm. Where Tecar is not appropriate, other approaches address the same problem.
What a session feels like
Most people describe a comfortable, spreading warmth and nothing more. It should never be painful or uncomfortably hot; say so immediately if it is, because the intensity is adjusted to you. There is no recovery period and nothing to avoid afterwards.
Availability
Tecar is one of the 40+ rehabilitation technologies across the APARC network, used within orthopaedic physiotherapy and chronic pain management. Call +91 98189 11195 to check availability at your nearest centre and book an assessment.
Find an APARC centre near you
APARC Health & Motion has 12 centres across Delhi NCR and Pune. Services, equipment and clinical teams vary by centre — please contact your nearest centre to confirm what is available there.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Dharam Pandey, MPT, PhD · Last reviewed: 2 August 2026 · Our clinical team