Therapeutic ultrasound is a treatment commonly used as a therapy to help manage pain, promote healing, and reduce inflammation in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It involves using sound waves (high frequency sound waves above the range of human hearing) to penetrate the skin and deep tissues. The sound waves produce mechanical vibrations that generate heat and stimulate blood flow, which can promote tissue repair and relieve pain.
Therapeutic ultrasound is often used for conditions like tendonitis, muscle strains, sprains, and local joint pain.
There are two types of therapeutic ultrasound:
- Continuous ultrasound – where the sound waves are constant and produce a warming effect in the tissue.
- Pulsed ultrasound – where the sound waves are pulsed on and off, typically used for more acute injuries to reduce inflammation.