What is Ultrasound Therapy?

Ultrasound Therapy, commonly known as therapeutic ultrasound, is a non-invasive, drug-free procedure used in physical therapy to promote tissue healing and treat various chronic pain conditions. Ultrasound therapy provides deep heating to soft tissues in the body, including muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments, and thereby reduces the pain and inflammation of the affected area. Therapeutic ultrasound is different from diagnostic ultrasound, which the health care providers use to see the inside of the body.

HPFY offers a comprehensive selection of ultrasound units and accessories like ultrasound gel, gel warmers, and sound head applicators from leading manufacturers like Chattanooga, Fabrication Enterprises, etc.

Safety Precautions!

During treatment, the transducer (ultrasound applicator head) should be kept moving slowly, angled at 90 degrees to the treatment area. If the applicator remains in one place for a longer time, there is a chance of burning the tissues and blood vessels underneath.

Who needs an Ultrasound Therapy Machine?

Therapeutic ultrasound can treat a wide variety of conditions. It is not limited to one specific disease or region of pain. Ultrasound Therapy can help individuals going through the following health conditions:

Arthritis
Bursitis
Tendinitis
Frozen shoulder
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Sprains and strains
Muscle spasms
Fractures
Sports injuries
Myofascial pain
Phantom limb pain
Scar tissue pain & many more

How does Ultrasound Physical Therapy work?

Ultrasound has been used in physiotherapy to treat a wide variety of ailments for over 50 years. The ultrasound therapy unit sends an electric current through crystals found in the ultrasound probe. The probe vibrates and produces ultrasonic waves. The sound waves cannot be heard, but they are able to travel through the skin and to tissues. The ultrasound provides heat to the deep tissues and promotes healing of the injured body part. If your physical therapist thinks that heat may be required to treat your condition, ultrasound is a good choice to use.

What are the types of Ultrasound Therapy?

Therapeutic ultrasound is categorized into two types: thermal and mechanical. Both use sound waves produced by a transducer head to penetrate soft tissues. The difference between the two types is the rate at which the sound waves penetrate the tissues.

Thermal Ultrasound Therapy

The sound waves generated by the transducer result in small vibrations in the deep tissue molecules, increasing heat and friction. The heating effect increases metabolism at the cellular level, which encourages healing in soft tissues. Thermal ultrasound therapy treats myofascial pain, soft tissue pain, muscle strain or sprain, and other musculoskeletal issues. Sometimes, this therapy is used to treat advanced problems like prostate cancer, uterine fibroids, and skin problems.
Mechanical Ultrasound Therapy

Mechanical ultrasound is also known as cavitation ultrasound therapy. The sound waves created by the ultrasound machine cause slight vibrations in the soft tissue that lead to the forming of tiny gas bubbles. The expansion and contraction of these gas bubbles help reduce the inflammatory response, thus decreasing pain and swelling.

Benefits of using a Home Ultrasound Unit

One can reap several benefits while using an ultrasound therapy machine for home use. It helps:

Reduces pain
Increases blood circulation
Improves range of motion and movement
Facilitates tissue healing
Helps treat surgical wounds
Aids in muscle relaxation
Breaks up the scar tissue and promotes the healing process

How is Therapeutic Ultrasound performed?

First, the therapist will select a small area of the skin closest to the site of pain or injury.
Then, the therapist will inspect the skin for any wounds, lesions, infections, or burns.
If the skin is clear, PT will apply hypoallergenic gel or cream, such as Aquasonic 100 ultrasonic gel, to the transducer head or the skin.
The gel helps keep air from coming between the skin and the probe and helps penetrate the ultrasound waves into the tissues.
During the ultrasound therapy treatment, the therapist will continually glide the transducer head over and around the affected area for about 10 minutes.
Depending on your specific condition, the intensity or power of ultrasound is adjusted.
The treatment is typically performed not more than once per day.

Contraindications

Therapeutic ultrasound should not be used on these body parts and conditions:

Pregnancy
Over broken skin, lesions, or healing fractures
Around the eyes, breasts, or sexual organs
Recent history of venous thrombosis
People who have implants like pacemakers
Malignant or cancerous tissue
Severely ischemic tissue
Acute infections

What should I look for when buying an Ultrasound Therapy Unit?

Quality

The beam non-uniformity ratio (BNR) helps determine the quality of the home ultrasound machine. This ratio indicates how the beam energy generated by the device can be sent to different body parts. The quality of the machine with a low BNR will be higher.
Radiating area

The portion of the sound head that produces sound waves is the effective radiating area (ERA). In general, the ERA is smaller than the transducer area. While buying an ultrasound machine, consider its ERA to get targeted therapy.
Frequency

The acoustic energy produced by the machine depends on its frequency to allow the body tissues to absorb the energy and speed up the healing process. In general, the ultrasound machine with higher frequencies makes the body absorb the energy easily and quickly compared to the machines with lower frequencies.
Adjustability

An ultrasound therapy machine is likely to be used by different people. It is best to purchase a device that offers numerous adjustable parameters. You can conveniently alter the treatment parameters to get the desired effect and reap maximum benefits.
Carrying case

Some portable ultrasound machines come with easy-to-carry protective carrying cases. Having a carrying case will make it easy to carry or transport the device with all accessories. Additionally, you can conveniently store the device while not in use. Pain Management Premium Portable Ultrasound Machine comes with a hard carrying case.

Where to Buy the Best Ultrasound Therapy Machine for Home Use Online?

Health Products For You offers a wide range of ultrasound therapy machines for pain relief from our esteemed vendors like Dynatronics, Compass Health Brands, Pain Management Technologies, etc., at affordable prices. HPFY is a customer-centric online medical supplies store dedicated exclusively to providing you with quality products for your health-related concerns. Shop today and avail of exciting offers and discounts.