Ultrasound has been a part of physiotherapy clinical practice since sometime back in the 1950’s, and remains a popular and evidenced intervention for a range of clinical problems.

Ultrasound (US) is a form of MECHANICAL energy, not electrical energy, and therefore strictly speaking, not really electrotherapy at all but does fall into the Electro Physical Agents grouping. Mechanical vibration at increasing frequencies is known as sound energy. The normal human sound range is from 16Hz to something approaching 15-20,000 Hz (in children and young adults). Beyond this upper limit, the mechanical vibration is known as ULTRASOUND. The frequencies used in therapy are typically between 1.0 and 3.0 MHz (1MHz = 1 million cycles per second).

Sound waves are LONGITUDINAL waves consisting of areas of COMPRESSION and RAREFACTION. Particles of a material, when exposed to a sound wave will oscillate about a fixed point rather than move with the wave itself. As the energy within the sound wave is passed to the material, it will cause oscillation of the particles of that material. Clearly any increase in the molecular vibration in the tissue can result in heat generation, and ultrasound  can be used to produce thermal changes in the tissues, though current usage in therapy does not focus on this phenomenon.

In addition to thermal changes, the vibration of the tissues appears to have effects which are generally considered to be non thermal in nature, though, as with other modalities (e.g. Pulsed Shortwave) there must be a thermal component however small. As the US wave passes through a material (the tissues), the energy levels within the wave will diminish as energy is transferred to the material. The energy absorption and attenuation characteristics of US waves have been documented for different tissues.

What can ultrasound treat?

  • Muscle spasm
  • Traumatism
  • Tendinopathy, tenosynovitis
  • Tears, scars, sprains
  • Fibrosis
  • Fractures
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Analgesia
  • Plantar fasciatis
  • Bursitis
  • Sonophoresis

Want some more advice? Give the Team a call on 0118 9462299.