What is ultrasound?
Ultrasound is commonly associated with generating images of unborn babies, but its versatility is becoming increasingly apparent and it is now used in several different branches of medicine. Ultrasound or ultrasonography, as it is sometimes known, is increasingly used to treat chronic muscular conditions, as well as complex health conditions including heart disease.
How does ultrasound work?
Ultrasound technology uses extremely high frequency sound waves to penetrate the tissue in the body; ultrasound causes much deeper penetration than other methods of therapy. The waves transmitted by ultrasound technology produce heat, which increases nerve activity, raises body temperature and increases blood flow to the affected area of the body; these actions cause the muscles to relax and prevent muscle spasms.
Which conditions can ultrasound treat?
Ultrasound can be used to treat a number of different health conditions including:
- Tennis and golfer’s elbow
- Frozen shoulder
- Lower back pain
- Sacro-iliac inflammation (this is a major cause of lower back pain and can also contribute to sciatic pain).
- Ankle sprains
- Groin strain
- Cervical spondylosis (this is also known as degenerative arthritis and refers to the wearing down of the vertebral discs in the neck)
What are the benefits of ultrasound?
There are many different benefits of ultrasound treatment; this treatment has been proven to rapidly soothe muscle aches and pains without any pain, side-effects or risks to the patient’s general health. Ultrasound can penetrate the deep tissue meaning it can treat conditions which are usually harder to target, such as problems in the back and hips. Ultrasound has also been proven to increase a person’s metabolic rate, as well as improving circulation.