Ultrasound therapy is a treatment used by physical therapists to relieve pain and to promote tissue healing. With an ultrasound machine high frequency sound waves are used to treat injuries to muscles, tendons and soft tissues. The sound waves pass through the skin causing the tissues in the affected area to vibrate.
US helps to:
- Improve blood flow to the injured site
- Increase the breakdown of scar tissue
- Decrease pain
- Encourage the healing process.
Conditions for which ultrasound may be used for treatment include the following examples: ligament sprains, muscle strains, tendonitis, joint inflammation, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, facet irritation, impingement syndrome, bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and scar tissue adhesion.