Ultrasound Could Be Used for Pain Relief
Ultrasound aids the healing of a variety of aches and pains.
Ultrasound is a specialized physical therapy technique that uses mechanical energy to enhance your body’s natural process of healing.
Ultrasound techniques manage or relieve pain, treat injuries, and improve your ability to perform daily activities. Ultrasound treatments may benefit you if you have been suffering from pain or recently suffered an injury.
Contact Progressive Medical Fitness today to learn how our team of licensed physical therapists can use ultrasound to aid you in your recovery process.
Benefits of ultrasound
Ultrasound is a general physical therapy treatments – meaning it is able to treat a wide variety of conditions. There are no limits as to the ailments or regions of pain that are able to be treated with ultrasound.
A few common conditions that benefit greatly from ultrasound are:
- Arthritis
- Fractures
- Frozen shoulder
- Sprains, strains, and tears
- Bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Muscle spasms
Pain relief, increased blood flow, reduced swelling and inflammation, and enhancement of healing of soft tissues are the benefits of ultrasound treatments.
With just a few ultrasound treatments, our licensed physical therapy team is able to successfully treat and potentially alleviate pain resulting from many conditions.
Different types of ultrasound treatments
This technology works to repair and heal damaged body tissues in two main ways. The first method utilizes the thermal energy (heat) benefits and the second utilizes non-thermal benefits:
Thermal benefits
Heat penetrates deep into your soft tissues during an ultrasound treatment.
Heat helps to increase blood circulation, diminish pain, and allow for the muscles to stretch more easily. Thermal energy created during your ultrasound treatment session is also able to ease tight muscles and tendons.
Non-thermal benefits
Ultrasound technology has additional benefits unrelated to its heat transferring properties.
During your ultrasound treatment, the energy that is transferred into the body creates tiny gas bubbles that surround your tissues. These bubbles rapidly contract and expand, in a process known as cavitation.
Cavitation is able to help repair damaged tissues, such as cellulite or scar tissue, and ease tight muscles.
A typical ultrasound treatment session
Sound waves are the technology that underlie ultrasound treatments.
Sound waves create vibrations that generate heat which helps treat ailments that affect the muscles, ligaments, and bones.
Friction is produced at the molecular level when the tissue cells vibrate, which increases the temperature of the tissues.
Heating packs can be effective in warming up an affected area, but the drawback is that they are unable to reach deep into the tissues. Ultrasound technology does not have this deficiency and is able to penetrate deep within the tissues.
Our Progressive Medical Fitness physical therapists use a generous amount of gel on the applicator surface, in order to minimize friction on the skin and maximize the transmission of the sound waves into the tissues.
These sound waves are then absorbed by your tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues to do their healing work.
Benefits of ultrasound
Our Progressive Medical Fitness physical therapy team will create a personalized treatment plan to address your condition and lifestyle. Ultrasound treatments will be considered as part of your treatment plan if you condition warrants them.
At your initial evaluation, your physical therapist will conduct a thorough physical exam to identify your condition and the treatments with the best results for that condition.
Your treatment plan is designed with consideration of your medical history and to accommodate any health restrictions you may have.
Discover the benefits of ultrasound today
If you are in pain or recently suffered an injury, don’t delay. Progressive Medical Fitness will guide you back to your normal level of physical activity as quickly as possible. Reclaim your life and daily activities by contacting our Northport, NY physical therapy office today to schedule an appointment!