What does ultrasound treat

It is a general term that is used to define the inflammation of the tendon tissue that connects the muscle to the bone. This is the most common cause of soft-tissue pain. It can occur at any age but it is more common in adults who do a lot of sport. Old age people are also prone to it as the tendons tend to lose their elasticity and become weaker with age.

Its common types are:. Other conditions that can be treated with Therapeutic Ultrasound are:. Ultrasound Therapy is a very low-risk, non-invasive procedure. But there are certain times where and when it should be avoided like,. Home Therapies We Offer Details. What are its Types?

It is generally categorized into 2 types: 1. Thermal Ultrasound Therapy This therapy involves the continuous transfer of sound waves resulting in small vibrations in the deep tissue molecules. These vibrations increase heat and friction in the molecules. This heating effect results in the increases in the metabolism of the tissue cells resulting in the healing of the soft tissues.

The local rise in the temperature could be used to accelerate healing. It is generally used in case of a Myofascial pain , or a muscle strain or sprain , scars, or adhesion. Mechanical Ultrasound therapy This therapy uses single the vibration of sound waves to penetrate tissue.

It actually causes the expansion and contraction in the tiny gas bubbles of the soft tissues which then helps to reduce the inflammation, reducing tissue swelling and thus decreasing pain in the tissue. It is generally used if you have Pain and Swelling such as with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome , Ultrasound maybe used in a continuous mode where the treatment head continuously produces ultrasonic energy or pulsed where the treatment head continuously produces ultrasonic energy, or pulsed where the periods of ultrasound are separated by periods of silence.

What are the treatment parameters of Ultrasound Therapy or Therapeutic Ultrasound? Intensity The unit of intensity when using ultrasound is the watt. Pulsed mark: space ratio When ultrasound is applied in its pulsed mode, the ratio of the time on to time off should be expressed.

Reflection of ultrasound Air does not transmit ultrasonic waves, so in ultrasonic treatment great care is taken to avoid leaving air between the treatment head and the patient, to minimize reflection.

Transmission of ultrasound If the ultrasound beam encounters an interface between two media and is transmitted, it may be refracted.

Attenuation of ultrasound Attenuation is the term used for the gradual reduction in the intensity of the ultrasonic beam once it has left the treatment head. Absorption Ultrasound is absorbed by the tissues and converted to heat at that point. Scatter This occurs when the normally cylindrical ultrasonic beam is deflected from its path by reflection at interfaces, bubbles or particles in its path.

Ultrasonic fields Depth of penetration and intensity of the ultrasonic beam is the division of the beam into a near and a far-field. Coupling media Ultrasonic waves are not transmitted by air, thus some couplant that does transmit then must be imposed between the treatment head transducer and the patient's skin.

However its most commonly used for: Heating and relaxing of the muscles in order to alleviate the pain. Increasing the blood flow i. Softening of any existing scar tissue. Management of the Knee Osteoarthritis OA. What are the conditions treated by Ultrasound Therapy or Therapeutic Ultrasound? But there are certain times where and when it should be avoided like, It is not applied to people who have cardiovascular issues.

List of Partners vendors. Ultrasound therapy is a treatment used by physical therapists or occupational therapists to relieve pain and to promote tissue healing. While ultrasound therapy is not effective for all chronic pain conditions , it may help reduce your pain if you have any of the following:.

The two main types of ultrasound therapy are thermal and mechanical. Both use sound waves generated by a transducer head which looks a bit like a microphone to penetrate soft tissues. The difference between the two types of ultrasound therapy is the rate at which the sound waves penetrate the tissues. Thermal ultrasound therapy uses a more continuous transmission of sound waves. The sound waves cause microscopic vibrations in deep tissue molecules, increasing heat and friction.

The warming effect encourages healing in soft tissues by increasing metabolism at the cellular level. Mechanical ultrasound therapy uses pulses of sound waves to penetrate tissues. While this still has a minor warming effect, it also causes expansion and contraction in tiny gas bubbles in soft tissues.

This decreases the inflammatory response, which reduces swelling and decreases pain. The type of ultrasound therapy you get depends on your condition. For myofascial pain, strains, or sprains, thermal ultrasound therapy is typical. When you go in for ultrasound therapy, 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 continually move the transducer head over and around the selected area. Some people feel a mild pulsing during ultrasound therapy, while others may feel a slight warmth in the skin. If the area being treated is especially sensitive to touch, you could possibly feel discomfort as the transducer head passes over.

Ultrasound therapy, however, should not be painful. Ultrasound therapy is deemed safe by the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA provided it is performed by a licensed person and provided the therapist keeps the transducer head moving at all times. If the transducer head remains in one place for too long, there is a potential to burn the tissues underneath, which you may or may not feel.

Ultrasound therapy should not be used on these body parts:. Additionally, it should not be used on people who have pacemakers. The literature is mixed on the benefits of ultrasound therapy. A study showed that while people receiving ultrasound therapy showed some improvement, a platelet-rich plasma injection was more effective than both ultrasound therapy and steroid injections for shoulder periarthritis. As with pain medication , finding the treatment modality that works best for your pain is often a trial and error process.

It may be recommended if you experience any of the following conditions:. Your physical therapist PT might use therapeutic ultrasound to provide deep heating to soft tissue to increase blood circulation to those tissues.

This could, theoretically, promote healing and decrease pain. Your PT might also use this treatment with the goal of improving the flexibility of muscles to restore a full range of motion. Your PT might use ultrasound energy to cause rapid contraction and expansion of microscopic gas bubbles cavitation around injured tissue.

This, theoretically, speeds healing. The U. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of therapeutic ultrasound by licensed professionals.

It has the potential to produce harm if the heat is left in the same place too long. If, while being treated, you feel discomfort, alert your PT right away. This is unlikely to occur in most uses of the treatment.

While therapeutic ultrasound is considered generally safe in treating certain conditions, there are some areas in which it is not recommended, including:. Since the application of energy in the above circumstances has the potential to cause damage, always tell your PT if they apply to you. The effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound has not been documented through research.

For example, a study on 60 people with knee osteoarthritis concluded that the use of the treatment offered no additional benefit in pain improvement and functions. Although not necessarily supported by clinical research, therapeutic ultrasound is a popular and widely used treatment offered by many physical and occupational therapists.

Because it is safe and commonly used to treat various conditions, you may try ultrasound therapy to see if it improves your functionality and pain and then decide if it is worth continuing.

Therapeutic ultrasound is a tool in wide use by physical therapists.