Sound Advice for Pain Sufferers

By Dr. Steven Warfield

When most people hear the term “Medical Ultrasound” they picture those fuzzy pictures of babies in the womb that are a staple or prenatal care in this country.  What they don’t realize is that ultrasound also has a second application as a therapeutic treatment used by chiropractors the world over.

The History of Therapeutic Ultrasonography

Ultrasonography, or the use of ultrahigh frequency sound for medical purposes, got its start in 

English: Medical Ultrasound linear array Probe/scan head/transducer. By Daniel W. Rickey 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Germany back in the 1940’s.  By 1952, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine was established to explore the uses of ultrasound technology and to educate the public about its applications.  As far as therapeutic applications go, it was discovered that ultrasound stimulated tissue, increased blood flow and reduced pain, stiffness and spasms, making it a versatile treatment mechanism.  Using these devices for everything from micromassage to thermal effects produced by the sound waves has helped patients recover from everything from car accidents to chronic back and neck pain.  Best of all, unlike medication, ultrasound produces no side effects. 

Studies have shown that Ultrasonic Therapy (UT) has been useful in treating everything from myofacial pain syndrome, to spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis.  “Two  2010 studies support the use of UT for osteoarthritis.  One study was a well-designed randomized placebo controlled clinical trial for hip osteoarthritis.  The conclusion was that “addition of therapeutic ultrasound to the traditional physical therapy showed a longitudinal positive effect on pain, functional status, and physical Quality of Life in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Yet another osteoarthritis systematic review of UT for hip and knee was conducted as a Cochrane Database Systematic Review.  Their conclusions were that “In contrast to the previous version of this review, our results suggest that therapeutic ultrasound may be beneficial for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.”

Ultrasonic devices used in chiropractic treatment are performed using a handheld inducer that is attached to a controller that is used to set the desired frequency and duration of the ultrasound.  Outside of the range of human hearing, ultrasound creates and directs sound waves to travel as much as three to four inches into the body.  These waves are focused to excite soft tissue as well as producing localized heat. (Think of the device as a combination of hot pack and masseuse.)  Since these sound waves are easily absorbed by soft tissue such as muscles, ligaments and scar tissue, this type of therapy is useful in treating sprains, strains and other deep tissue damage.

In a typical ultrasound treatment session, a conductive gel is applied to the area that is to be treated.  The inducer, typically looking like a pint sized shower massage, will then be gently placed on the skin and slowly moved over the affected area for a minute or so.  Totally pain free, the usual sensation if there is one is a feeling of warmth or possibly a slight tingling.  When the treatment session is over, the gel is wiped away and the doctor may ask you to stretch your muscles or may follow up the ultrasound with a massage or chiropractic manipulation session.  Just as with physical therapy, ultrasound treatments work best if performed over a series of 5-8 sessions. 

This technology is so safe and effective that it has long been used to treat pregnant women to help reduce pain and inflammation that accompany changes in the mother’s body.  For sufferers of injury or chronic pain, therapeutic ultrasound treatment is just one more tool that helps chiropractors offer relief to their patients.  If you or anyone you know is suffering from chronic neck, back or muscle pain, have them ask their doctor about ultrasound treatments.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com