Ultrasound therapy is a treatment that is used by physical
and occupational therapists to treat pain conditions by easing painful joints
and muscles as well as promote the healing of tissue.

Ultrasound therapy doesn’t reduce pain in all chronic conditions.
Some of the conditions that it is effective for is bursitis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, sprains, and osteoarthritis, as well as a few others.

Ultrasound therapy is done using an ultrasound machine. The
machine uses high energy sound waves that are generated through the head of the
machine. The physical or occupational therapist maneuvers the head of the
ultrasound machine over the painful joint or muscles to direct the sound waves.

There are two types of ultrasound therapy. The difference
between the types, which are called thermal and mechanical, is how fast the
waves move to penetrate the tissue.

When using thermal ultrasound therapy, the sound waves
penetrate the tissue at a fast rate, and are more constant than if they were at
a slower rate. The continuous penetration causes vibrations in the tissue
molecules, so they begin to heat up. The heat then causes the metabolism to
work at a higher rate in the tissue cells and, therefore, promotes healing.

Mechanical ultrasound therapy doesn’t use a constant
transmission of sound waves like thermal therapy does. Instead, the sound waves
come more in pulses to penetrate the tissues. This has only a small warming
effect on the tissues. The small gas bubbles in the soft tissues swell and
contract, which reduces swelling. When the swelling is reduced, the pain also
lessens.

Ultrasound therapy is not painful and is an uncomplicated
procedure. The physical or occupational therapist selects an area to work on
and applies a gel either to the desired area or to the head of the ultrasound
machine. The gel helps the transducer head to glide easily over the skin and
helps the sound waves to penetrate the skin more evenly. The therapist moves
the head continually over and around the desired area so as not to burn the tissue.

People have different sensations while being treated with
ultrasound therapy, but none of those are painful. There may be some
discomfort, however, if the area being treated is sensitive to touch. Most
people feel nothing at all, but some people feel warmth or a minor pulsing.

The Food and Drug Administration decided that ultrasound
therapy is safe as long as it is performed by a licensed professional, and the
head of the ultrasound therapy machine is kept moving at all times because it
is possible to burn the tissues.

There are some body parts that ultrasound therapy should not
be used on. These parts include broken skin, eyes, areas with plastic implants,
the torso of pregnant or menstruating women, and people with pacemakers.

Ultrasound therapy is extremely effective on people with
certain chronic pain conditions, and it is deemed safe by the Food and Drug
Administration. It not only eases the pain in joints and muscles, but promotes
healing of tissues, which in the long term, could eliminate some pain
conditions.