What Is Ultrasound Therapy?
Ultrasound therapy is a relatively new treatment for chronic pain that has been found to be successful for many conditions. Chief among these conditions include arthritis, fibromyalgia and injuries. Ultrasound therapy is an exciting treatment because it uses new technology, high-frequency sound waves, to relieve pain. These sound waves produce heat that penetrates deep into the painful tissue and soothes it. Ultrasound therapy provides an alternative and healthier path to pain management than do addictive painkillers.
An Ultrasound Therapy Session
During an ultrasound therapy session, the patient is clad in a simple sheet and seated. The ultrasound technician turns on the machine, consisting of a probe attached to an ultrasound transducer (the device that converts electric energy to ultrasound energy). This probe contains a quartz crystal that vibrates when activated, creating high-intensity sound waves. Before applying the probe to the skin, the technician applies a hypoallergenic gel to the patient's affected area, which allows the probe to easily glide over the skin. The technician then applies the probe to the affected area, using gentle circular motions to massage the sound waves through the tissue. During the session, the patient feels a tingling sensation that is usually pleasurable. No one hears the sound waves because they are beyond the spectrum of human hearing.
Types of Ultrasound Therapy
There are two major types of ultrasound therapy: pulsed wave and continuous wave. Patients receive pulsed wave therapy, which uses intermittent waves that do not produce significant heat, when they have injuries needing pain relief. On the other hand, patients receive continuous wave therapy when they have chronically painful tissues, such as with rheumatoid arthritis. Either way, ultrasound therapy has the ability to repair damaged tissues, by penetrating the damaged cell membranes and breaking them down, as well as stretching the musculoskeletal structure. Most of all, it helps reduce inflammation.
Tags: sound waves, affected area, continuous wave, pulsed wave, session patient, skin technician