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Ultrasound therapy

Ultrasound therapy is a technique that uses sound waves to create a vibration generating heat to treat a variety of muscle, bone, and joint conditions. As the vibrations cause heat friction within the tissues of the injured area, positive healing effects include increased blood flow, reduced inflammation, and improved tissue healing. 

There are two main types of ultrasound physical therapy: thermal and mechanical. Both use sound waves to penetrate soft tissues. The difference between the two types of ultrasound therapy is the rate of penetration.

  • Thermal ultrasound therapy is typically used for muscle strains or sprains. This type of ultrasound therapy causes continuous vibrations to increase heat and friction in the tissues. The conduction of heat promotes soft tissue healing by increasing the metabolism within the cells of the tissue.

  • Mechanical ultrasound therapy is used in treating main from scar tissue or inflammation. Mechanical ultrasound therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome may be useful in reducing pain. This type of ultrasound therapy uses pulsing vibrations to penetrate tissues causing the soft tissues to expand and then contract. This helps to decrease the inflammatory response, reducing tissue swelling and decreasing pain.

At 360 Physical Therapy & Wellness, our licensed physical therapists use ultrasound therapy for treating bursitis, muscle strains, arthritis, and trauma or injury-induced pain. Your physical therapist will discuss the best treatment for you based on your individual needs to help you improve strength, range of motion, and daily functioning. 

Benefits of ultrasound therapy include:

Using ultrasound therapy before therapeutic exercises can help reduce shoulder pain and increase mobility.

Using ultrasound therapy before therapeutic exercises can help reduce shoulder pain and increase mobility.

  • Increase blood flow: Ultrasound physical therapy causes blood vessels to expand, increasing the blood flow. Increasing blood flow helps improve circulation and range of motion and helps to reduce inflammation to speed up the healing process.

  • Reduce inflammation: Studies show that ultrasound therapy aids in increased range of motion and reduced stiffness and swelling. Ultrasound physical therapy complements manual physical therapy and therapeutic exercise to improve joint mobility. If you have shoulder pain, ultrasound therapy for shoulder pain or shoulder impingement can help improve the extensibility of the tissues around your shoulder prior to performing therapeutic exercises.

  • Promote tissue healing: Ultrasound physical therapy can aid in the healing of scar tissue. The ultrasound vibrations can help prevent scar tissue from forming or reduce the amount of scar tissue present from previous injury or surgery.

Ultrasound therapy for chronic pain, bursitis, shoulder pain, back pain, or knee osteoarthritis can help alleviate symptoms and improve the healing process. Contact 360 Physical Therapy & Wellness in Fulton, Maryland to discuss how ultrasound therapy can help treat your condition.