THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND TREATMENT HAS BECOME A COMMON PRACTICE AMONG PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS TO REDUCE MUSCLE PAIN, FIGHT INFECTION, AND PROMOTE HEALING IN THE BODY.
Palm Wellness provides patients access to the best therapies, including therapeutic ultrasound, as a complementary treatment for the rehabilitation process.
Therapeutic ultrasound is not the diagnostic tool used for pregnant women or to get images of internal organs and other soft tissue. Instead, therapeutic ultrasound devices are used in physical therapy and occupational therapists to alleviate pain and promote cell regeneration.
The patient lies in bed with the area receiving therapy exposed. A gel is applied and then handheld probes are placed on the affected area. These probes will send ultrasound waves into the muscles, producing several benefits for your health. Therapeutic ultrasound treatments usually last 15 minutes and are very effective for muscle relaxation and tissue healing.
Ultrasound therapy can be effective in the early stages of treating an acute injury or chronic pain as it helps reduce your pain and promotes tissue healing. The heating and relaxing benefits help alleviate muscle pain, while the increased flow to the affected area will mean more lymph passes through. Lymph is a clear fluid that fights infection, encourages healing, and removes excess fluid. These 3 factors combined make it a very effective method to treat swelling and inflammation of the muscles, joints, and ligaments. Some of the most commonly treated issues include tendonitis, not-acute joint swelling, and chronic inflammation.
Therapeutic ultrasound is one of the important treatment methods used to enhance the healing of pressure ulcers/sores, wound cleansing, wound dressings, and electrical stimulation.
Ultrasound has also been shown to have beneficial effects on tissue healing. It penetrates the deep tissues and warms them up to encourage the healing of soft tissues. A physical therapist uses ultrasound to treat a strained muscle that has not healed as expected. Ultrasound may be helpful with symptoms related to strains and sprains.
Ultrasound therapy has a beneficial thermal effect that is created by ultrasound waves. It helps improve recovery times following a sports injury. When a patient is treated using an ultrasound device machine, more mast cells are brought to the injured area. This influx of cells improves blood flow to the injured tissue, which improves the inflammatory response of the body after an injury.
Chronic headache and migraine treatment from the team of physical therapists at Palm Wellness Center can benefit you. One of the beneficial physical therapy methods that we may use in your treatment is ultrasound therapy.
Ultrasound stimulates the muscle tissue underneath your skin and aids in pain relief, but ultrasound provides more than just pain relief. Neuromuscular problems in the muscles are common among headache and migraine sufferers — sound waves can stimulate healing in those sore, inflamed muscles by increasing heat and blood flow. Also, releasing trigger points within those muscles helps eliminate lactic acid and toxins, making it easier for muscles to bring in critical nutrients. Restoring nutrients to the cells can expedite the healing process.
High-power, low-frequency ultrasound treatment is one of the few effective methods of cellulite reduction and, to a limited extent, subcutaneous fat reduction. Ultrasound assists with cellulite removal in 4 ways: cellulite fat reduction; mild skin firming; fibrosis reduction; and circulation improvement.
Ultrasound therapy also improves the appearance of moderately loose or sagging skin by depositing focused ultrasound energy underneath the surface to stimulate the body’s creation of new collagen, the natural protein that gives skin its youthful firmness and elasticity. The skin begins to lift and tone over time.
A non-surgical treatment, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a painless, noninvasive imaging test that uses sound waves to create images of the internal reproductive structures, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. Healthcare providers use gynecological ultrasound to diagnose gynecologic problems.
Our therapists typically use therapeutic ultrasound to treat swollen muscles, especially when a fast rehabilitation process is needed. However, ultrasound therapy has numerous benefits and can be used for various conditions.
Ultrasound therapy helps reduce your pain and promotes tissue healing. It may be recommended if you experience any of the following conditions:
Shoulder pain, including frozen shoulder.
Tendinitis.
Ligament injuries.
Joint tightness.
Osteoarthritis.
Myofascial pain.
Bursitis.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Pain caused by scar tissue.
Phantom limb pain.
Sprains and strains.
Therapeutic ultrasound treatment is mainly used in two ways: thermal and mechanical. Both use sound waves to penetrate soft tissue; the difference comes from the rate at which the sound waves are produced.
Thermal ultrasound is a more continuous production of sound waves, creating vibrations in the deep tissue to produce heat and friction. This warming and vibratory effect promotes the tissues' self-healing process by increasing the cells' metabolism and improving the blood flow.
Mechanical ultrasound is a less continuous flow of sound waves that penetrate tissues. It provides some of the benefits of thermal ultrasound, but it also creates expansion and contraction in gas bubbles, reducing tissue swelling, and alleviating pain.
The therapeutic ultrasound treatment prescribed for you will depend on your condition and desired results.
The heating and relaxing effects help to alleviate muscle pain.
It increases the flow of lymphatic fluid passing through to the affected area, providing more white blood cells to fight infection and encourage healing.
Therapeutic ultrasound treatment breaks down scar tissue and increases local blood flow.
It can be used for Phonophoresis, administering medicine via the skin without an injection.
It can be used to stimulate repair of damaged bones.
Ultrasound therapy has a low risk of causing complications. But, exposure to low-intensity ultrasound for a long time may cause superficial burns on the skin. So, healthcare providers make sure that the ultrasound probe is in motion when in contact with your skin.
Ultrasound therapy can also cause mild discomfort due to the shockwaves it causes. To solve this problem, your healthcare provider will administer a sedative or anesthesia to manage the pain. Internal bleeding and scarring may also occur, depending on your time on the procedure and the duration you've been exposed to the shockwaves.
Therapeutic ultrasound is not allowed to be used near a pregnant woman's womb because it could put the pregnancy at risk. It's also not used over the spine, eyes, pacemakers, other implants, and areas with active infections.
The patient lies in bed with the area receiving therapy exposed. A gel or cream is applied, either to the body or to the probe head to improve the reception of the ultrasound waves in the body.
The handheld probes are placed on the treated area and then activated, which makes them vibrate and send waves through the skin into the deep tissue.
Therapeutic ultrasound treatments usually last 15 minutes. The therapist continuously changes the probe position over and around the affected area to increase the beneficial effects of the therapy.
A common effect is the warming of the area being treated. Some may feel small vibrations, but in general, you should feel nothing unless it is a sensitive area. Let your therapist know if you feel any discomfort.
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about ultrasound therapy offered at Palm Wellness Center.
Commonly the treatment lasts 5 to 10 minutes, and it's typically not performed more than once per day.
No, not at all. It is a completely non-invasive procedure. As the wand is pressed against your skin you may feel some heat and tingling, but that's all that most people experience when undergoing this type of treatment.
Rehabilitation practitioners often combine electrical stimulation and therapeutic ultrasound to maximize the therapeutic benefits each modality offers their patients.
Combination therapy involves the simultaneous application of ultrasound with electrical stimulation therapy. E-stim and ultrasound combination units not only save time but also save space and money. By providing both modalities in a single unit, users and patients benefit from the convenience.
The effect of ultrasound therapy on a developing human fetus has not been fully explored and therefore should be avoided during pregnancy.
Ultrasound over the bone that has not fully developed may cause fractures or other problems with the part of the bones that are responsible for growth.
Ultrasound therapy is used in physical therapy to treat pain and loss of joint function due to osteoarthritis.
Therapeutic ultrasound increases blood circulation, promotes healing, and decreases pain.
People suffering from chronic tendon pain have a minimally invasive treatment option that uses high-frequency sound waves or ultrasounds to remove damaged and scarred tissue that causes the tendon pain.
Ultrasound therapy is a very low-risk, non-invasive procedure. It is deemed safe by the FDA, provided it is performed by a licensed person, and provided the therapist keeps the transducer head moving at all times.
There are certain parts of the body where our therapists will not apply therapeutic ultrasound treatment:
Over the abdomen, pelvic regions, or lower back in women who are menstruating or pregnant. However, therapeutic ultrasound treatment can still be performed on other parts of the body.
It is generally avoided over the spine, and the growth plates of children, as it may have unintended consequences.
Over open wounds, lesions, broken skin, or healing fractures.
Anywhere on the head, breasts, or sexual organs.
Over any areas with plastic implants, metal implants, or pacemakers.
Over areas with impaired sensations or blood flow.
If you are suffering from muscle and joint pains and want a non-invasive treatment to reduce your soreness, then our ultrasound therapy is what you need. Our medical professionals at Palm Wellness Center have the experience, skills, and tools to help alleviate your pain and improve your health.
Call us now! (813) 443-5370
