Final answer:
Diathermy means 'to heat through' and is a medical treatment that uses electrical current to produce heat inside the body for therapeutic benefits. It uses heat transfer methods such as conduction and radiation to reach deeper bodily structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Diathermy
The term diathermy refers to a therapeutic treatment typically used for muscle and joint conditions. It involves the use of electrical current to produce heat and stimulate healing by increasing blood flow and relieving pain. The correct answer to the question is 'd. to heat through'. This technique means to heat tissues through the body to reach more deeply lying structures, such as muscles and joints, which can benefit from the increased temperature.
Heat transfer plays a crucial role in this process. There are different methods of heat transfer, including conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. In the context of diathermy, the heat typically transfers through conduction and radiation to provide therapeutic benefits. Conduction transfers heat from one object to another through direct physical contact, whereas radiation, like the heat from diathermy equipment, transfers energy through space without direct contact.