Ultrasound therapy in St Austell
We perform ultrasound therapy at our St Austell clinic, but what exactly is it?
Ultrasound can be used for scanning and producing images, this is often the most understood use of ultrasound equipment today, typically for imaging the unborn baby and, more recently, for looking at other parts of the body such as organs, shoulders, knees, etc., it is a relatively recent development as faster computer equipment has made it possible to process the large amounts of data to produce the images in real time.
In fact Ultrasound has been used since about the 1950’s as a treatment for soft tissue in the body, muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. Initial equipment was bulky and expensive however modern technology has reduced the size and increased the reliability. The term Ultrasound simply means a sound wave that is above the audible frequencies approximately 20,000 Hz. Although other frequencies are used the main treatment frequencies are 1 million and 3 million Hz. Selection of which frequency to use is a clinical decision.
How does ultrasound therapy work?
The generated sound wave causes an oscillation to occur within the tissue and energy imparted, this is absorbed producing a therapeutic effect. Apart from the mechanical movement a certain amount of heat is generated that causes some changes in the tissue however the treatment is generally considered to be non-thermal.
Application of ultrasound therapy
If the patient is receptive to the treatment, when the clinical decisions have been made regarding the nature of the injury, that is, whether it is chronic or acute, whether the site is suitable for treatment and any contraindications are taken into account, a gel is placed on the skin to provide good transmission of the sound wave to the tissue being treated. The gel is generally water-based and is therefore hypoallergenic.
The patient is generally unaware of any sensation other than a very mild warming effect. The treatment head is moved continuously over the area of treatment to give an even distribution of the sound waves and to prevent overtreatment of some tissue due to internal reflection from bones or other interfaces within the area being treated.
The healing effect of ultrasound therapy
Ultrasound aids the process of tissue repair setting up a complex series of chemical events involved in the production of scar tissue and return of the damaged tissue to normal. It helps to reduce any internal bleeding, moderate inflammation, stimulates the proliferation and synthesis of new tissue and therefore tissue repair. It can also help to reduce the amount and orientation of scar tissue and speed the process of the tissue healing normally.
For anyone requiring further information: please contact Michael Mew at Riverview clinics or, review work on ultrasound by Prof Tim Watson at the University of Hertfordshire, UK.