Therapeutic Ultrasound

Therapeutic ultrasound is a form of treatment commonly used by physiotherapists to help alleviate pain and promote healing. It involves the use of high-frequency sound waves that penetrate into the body's tissues.

These waves generate heat within the tissues, which can help in various ways:

• Pain Reduction
• Tissue Healing
• Scar tissue reduction

Physiotherapist can incorporate therapeutic ultrasound with other treatment approaches like phonophoresis, iontophoresis and manual therapy techniques like soft tissue mobilization to achieve maximum effects.

 

Modes of Therapeutic Ultrasound

Continuous mode

It is used in chronic conditions and usually provides thermal effects. Reduction in pain is seen due to heating of deep tissue such as tendon or ligament insertion points.

Pulsed mode

It is used for acute and subacute conditions.

 

Half Value Depths for Therapeutic Ultrasound

• 3MHz - 2.0cm, used for superficial heating
• 1MHz - 4.0cm, used for deep heating

 

 

Techniques of Application

• Direct Contact Method
• Water Bath Method
• Water Bag Method

 

Guidelines for Acute and Chronic Condition

Ultrasound for acute condition

A low dose, pulsed mode is given for acute condition with a duration of 2-3 minutes. The duration can be progressed to 4-5 minutes maximum. The Mark Space ratio used is 1:7 for very acute and 1:1 for less acute condtion.

Chronic Condition

A pulsed or continuous mode is used for minimum of 4 minutes and maximum of 8 minutes. The treatment should be discontinued if no improvement is seen within six sessions.

 

Indication

• Tendonitis
• Muscle strains
• Ligament sprains
• Bursitis
• Scar tissue
• Joint contractures
• Subacute and chronic inflammation
• Pain management
• Calcium deposits
• Edema

 

Effective results are achieved in following conditions

• chronic conditions - osteoarthritis
• carpal tunnel syndrome which is median nerve injury
• ultrasound can be combined with nanomedicines, i.e., nanoparticles, Research suggests it can be used in conditions like cancer, Alzheimer and prove beneficial in certain ways like providing targeted drug treatment with less side effects.
• uterine fibroid ablation
• phacoemulsification

 

Contraindication

• malignant tumors
• pregnancy (abdominal and lumbar region)
• infection
• impaired sensation
• fractures or healing fractures
• vascular abnormalities
• cardiac abnormality
• in individuals with spinal cord stimulators
• acute conditions with potential bleeding