Ultrasound is a popular treatment modality in physical therapy and with good reason. Studies have shown that ultrasound therapy can not only decrease pain but increase muscular function. When treating diverse patient populations it’s important to have tools that can work for a variety of patient problems. Ultrasound therapy can treat deep muscular problems like sciatica or closer surface injuries like ankle tendinopathy.

1. ULTRASOUND
THERAPY
OPTIONS AND
APPLICATIONS
PROHEALTHCAREPRODUCTS.COM

2. ULTRASOUNDIS A POPULARTREATMENT
MODALITYIN PHYSICAL THERAPY AND
WITHGOODREASON.

3. Studies have shown that ultrasound therapy can not only
decrease pain but increase muscular function. When treating
diverse patient populations it’s important to have tools that
can work for a variety of patient problems.

4. Ultrasound therapy can treat
deep muscular problems like
sciatica or closer surface injuries
like ankle tendinopathy.

6. Ultrasound therapy creates a heat effect is caused by the
vibration of crystals within the sound head. The sound
waves that pass through the skin cause a vibration of the
local tissues.

7. This vibration causes a deep heating within the deep tissues
of the body. This deep heat enhances circulation by opening
the blood vessels and allowingmore oxygen to be delivered.

8. Ultrasound can also produce
effects other than just the
potential heating effect.
Ultrasound therapy can also
help tissue relaxation and aid
in breaking down scar tissue.
The increase in circulation can
also be used to help reduce
edema, inflammation and
promote bone fracture
healing.

9. Most therapeutic ultrasound
machines come with a choice
of frequencies, 1 or 3
megahertz, and now some
units also have a choice of 1
cm or 5 cm sound head.

10. These are great options to have when treating a variety of
injuries. Let’s get technical a little bit, so we can see why
these options are important and how they apply
therapeutically.

11. A megahertz (MHz) is a unit of alternating current or
electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one million
hertz (1,000,000 Hz).
Now, frequency when using
ultrasound therapy is important
because it can be used to treat
pain relief or accelerate healing
at the site of the injury.

12. With therapeutic ultrasound, the higherthe frequencyused,
the less the heat penetrates the tissues.
For example, when treating an
ankle, a therapist will set the
frequency to 3 MHz because
they site of the area being
treated is close to the skin and
a higher frequency is able to
target the tissues needing
treatment.

13. When treating for deeper injuries such as low back pain,
deeper penetration would be required, so 1 MHz would
be used to effectively reach that area.

14. Once the needed frequency has been determined, the choice of
sound head is of equal importance. In order for ultrasound therapy
to work, it must have contact with the body, so if the sound head is
too largefor the treatmentarea,the unit won’t work appropriately.

15. Again, consider treating an ankle at the joint which is small and
rounded, if the ultrasound head is too large, it actually won’t reach
most of the surface area of the ankle joint which won’t allow the
ultrasound energy to disperse, meaning it will touch mostly air. This
can cause themachineto detect no contactand mayturn off.

16. From ankles to backs, reducing pain or accelerating healing,
the versatility of ultrasound therapy is what makes it such a
greattool.
Also, ultrasound therapy is
non-invasive as well as time
efficient. It’s a great adjunct
to many physical therapy
treatment plans.