What Is Ultrasound Therapy
What Is Ultrasound Therapy
In the following article we’ll discuss about a vital topic that’s “What is Ultrasound Therapy?” let’s discuss within the article given below:
Ultrasound therapy is actually a physiotherapy technique that involves using ultrasound, i.e. sound vibrations greater than 20,000 Hz to treat soft tissue lesions, like muscle injuries and tendonitis.
Sound is actually formed by vibrations. The acoustic spectrum is split into three zones:
Infrasound, with vibrations of frequency lower than 20Hz Audible sounds, with frequency vibrations between 20 and 20,000Hz Ultrasound, with vibrations higher than 20,000Hz, where ultrasound therapy would be included.
As a vibration, ultrasound Aid actually a type of mechanical energy exerting a thermal and a mechanical effect on the body. Studies have shown it actually has the ability to affect living tissue; however, there’s remarkably little evidence to show that it really has therapeutic value beyond the placebo effect.
It is said that Ultrasound therapy is actually a treatment utilized by physical therapists or occupational therapists to alleviate pain and to promote tissue healing. While ultrasound therapy isn’t effective for all chronic pain conditions, it may actually help reduce your pain if you have any of the following:
- Osteoarthritis
- Myofascial pain
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Pain caused by the scar tissue
- Phantom limb pain
- Sprains and strains
Types of Ultrasound Therapy
There are two main kinds of ultrasound therapy: thermal and mechanical. Both use sound waves generated by a transducer head (which looks a little bit like a microphone) to penetrate soft tissues. The difference between the 2 kinds of ultrasound therapy is the rate at which the sound waves penetrate the tissues.
Thermal ultrasound therapy actually uses a more continuous transmission of sound waves. The sound waves cause microscopic vibrations within the deep tissue molecules, increasing heat and friction. The warming effect encourages healing within the soft tissues by increasing the metabolism at the level of the tissue cells.
Moreover, mechanical ultrasound therapy actually uses pulses of sound waves to penetrate tissues. While this still actually has a minor warming effect on the tissues, it also causes expansion and contraction in the tiny gas bubbles of the soft tissues. This actually helps to decrease the inflammatory response, further reducing tissue swelling and therefore decreasing pain.
How Is Ultrasound Therapy Performed
Your therapist will select a small surface area to work on for anywhere from five to 10 minutes. A gel is applied either to the transducer head or to your skin, which helps the sound waves evenly penetrate the skin. During your ultrasound therapy treatment, your therapist will actually continually move the transducer head over as well as around the selected area.
Is Ultrasound Therapy Safe
Ultrasound therapy is actually deemed safe by the FDA provided that it is performed by a licensed person and also the therapist keeps the transducer head moving at all times. If the transducer head remains in one place for too long, there’s potential to burn the tissues underneath, which you may or may not really feel.
Ultrasound therapy shouldn’t be used on these body parts:
- Over the abdomen, pelvic regions or lower back in women who are menstruating or pregnant
- Over lesions, broken skin or healing fractures
- Around the eyes, breasts or sexual organs
- Over any areas with plastic implants
- Over or near areas with malignant tumors
- Over areas with impaired sensations or blood flow
Additionally, it shouldn’t be used on people that have pacemakers.
Does Ultrasound Therapy Really Work
The literature is mixed on the advantages of ultrasound therapy. Some studies actually show that it can effectively control certain kinds of chronic pain, while others actually say there’s little difference between ultrasound therapy as well as the other traditional therapy treatments (like heat, stretching as well as electrical stimulation) for pain control. A 2017 study showed that while patients receiving ultrasound therapy showed some improvement, a platelet-rich plasma injection was much more effective than both ultrasound therapy and steroid injections for shoulder periarthritis.
Much like pain medication, finding the treatment modality that decreases your pain is usually a trial and error process. If you have not had any kind of improvement in your pain after many ultrasound treatments, ask your therapist or doctor about trying something else.