Therapeutic Ultrasound Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy For Pain

Therapeutic ultrasound is a physical therapy treatment that uses sound waves to heat up soft tissues in the body. These include muscles, tendons joints, and ligaments.

The use of sonar in physical therapy is different than diagnostic ultrasound.

With the latter, healthcare providers will often use sound waves to see what's going on inside someone’s body; for example, they may check out a fetus during pregnancy or examine an athlete without any broken bones but still need some imaging guidance because there are lots of things, we can't easily perceive with our natural senses alone!

The heat from the ultrasound can help reduce inflammation and pain. The sound waves can also help break up scar tissue.

Therapeutic ultrasound is most often used for:

• Tendinitis

• Bursitis

• Myofascial pain syndrome (Chronic pain in the muscles)

• Arthritis

• Heel spurs

The therapist will place a gel on the skin over the area being treated. The gel helps the sound waves move through the skin and into the soft tissue. A small wand-like device is then placed on the gel. The therapist will move this device around the area being treated.

You may feel a warm, tingling sensation during the treatment. The therapist will use a lower setting if you have sensitive skin.

Therapeutic ultrasound is usually given in a series of treatments. The number of treatments you need will depend on your condition. Each treatment lasts between 5 and 15 minutes.

Most people tolerate therapeutic ultrasound well. There are no known side effects from this type of physical therapy.

Ultrasound is a widely used and well-tolerated physical therapy intervention that can be an effective treatment for various conditions, including tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis, and heel spurs.

A therapist will apply gel to the skin over the area being treated and then use a small wand-like device to deliver sound waves into the soft tissue.

Treatment usually lasts between 5 and 15 minutes and most people tolerate it well with no known side effects. A series of treatments may be necessary depending on the condition being treated.

Deep Heating Effects:

Therapeutic ultrasound is thought to work by increasing the temperature of deep tissues, which can lead to a number of beneficial effects, including:

• reducing inflammation

• increasing blood flow

• breaking up scar tissue

• relieving pain.

Therapeutic ultrasound is most often used to treat conditions that involve inflammation or pain, such as tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis, and heel spurs.

The heat from the ultrasound can help reduce inflammation and pain. The sound waves can also help break up scar tissue.

Most people tolerate therapeutic ultrasound well. There are no known side effects from this type of physical therapy.

Treatment is usually given in a series of treatments, with each lasting between 5 and 15 minutes. The number of treatments you need will depend on your condition.

If you have a condition that could benefit from therapeutic ultrasound, talk to your doctor or physical therapist to see if this treatment is right for you.

Non-Thermal Effects (Cavitation):

Cavitation is the formation and then collapse of bubbles in a liquid.

When cavitation occurs in therapeutic ultrasound, it can create tiny areas of high pressure that can help break up scar tissue and promote healing.

Cavitation is thought to be one of the mechanisms by which therapeutic ultrasound can be effective in treating conditions such as tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, and heel spurs.

Therapeutic ultrasound is a widely used and well-tolerated physical therapy intervention that can be an effective treatment for various conditions, including tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis, and heel spurs.

A therapist will apply gel to the skin over the area being treated and then use a small wand-like device to deliver sound waves into the soft tissue.

How Does Ultrasound Work?

The small crystal inside your physical therapist's ultrasound unit is what makes it able to emit piezoelectric waves (an electric charge that accumulates in some solid materials). These vibrations are then picked up by the sound head, turned into an audio signal, and played back for you!

The sound waves produced by the therapeutic ultrasound can penetrate deep into your tissues, where they cause tiny vibrations.

Therapeutic ultrasound is most often used to treat conditions that involve inflammation or pain, such as tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis, and heel spurs.

The heat from the ultrasound can help reduce inflammation and pain. The sound waves can also help break up scar tissue.

Most people tolerate therapeutic ultrasound well. There are no known side effects from this type of physical therapy.

If you have a condition that could benefit from therapeutic ultrasound, talk to your doctor or physical therapist to see if this treatment is right for you.

Conclusion

Therapeutic ultrasound is a well-tolerated, non-invasive physical therapy intervention that can be an effective treatment for various conditions, including tendinitis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis, and heel spurs.

A series of treatments may be necessary depending on the condition being treated. Most people tolerate therapeutic ultrasound well, with no known side effects. If you think you may benefit from this type of therapy, talk to your doctor or physical therapist.