Therapeutic ultrasound is a tool used by many physiotherapists in their treatments. The ultrasound waves are created by a vibration of crystals within the head of the ultrasound probe. These continuous waves pass through the skin and create a vibration in the tissues underneath that often can’t be felt by the patient.
The vibrations in the tissues aim to:
- Increase blood flow to the area
- Increase the rate of healing
- Relax the tissues
- Reduce swelling and chronic inflammation
- Break down scar tissue
- Generate a deep heat.
Physiotherapists will most-commonly use ultrasound to treat conditions such as:
- Spinal injuries (eg. lower back pain)
- Muscle injuries (eg. hamstring, quadriceps strain)
- Ligament injuries (eg. ankle, knee sprain)
- Joint swelling (eg. from osteoarthritis, or from an impact injury)
- Muscle spasms
- Tendinitis problems (eg. Tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis)
- Other general sprains and strains
Generally, an ultrasound treatment can take around 5 minutes, depending on the condition and area being treated. Ultrasound may not be suitable for everyone (eg. Over a pregnant tummy or an infected joint) however it is a very useful treatment tool that you may come across in your treatment.
