How to Promote Rapid Healing with a Physical Therapy Ultrasound Machine?
To help patients with their pain many physical therapists use ultrasound. A physical therapy ultrasound machine uses sound waves in order to generate heat within a certain body part. Ultrasound plays a role of a stimulator, as it stimulates tissue regeneration and is able to increase the blood supply to the affected area. In fact, it also can relieve pain.
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What Is an Ultrasound Machine?
A typical therapeutic ultrasound machine consists of a current generator of 800 kHz frequency. It is led to the crystal in the head of an applicator. Crystal polarization causes to the oscillations of the same frequency. In order to avoid the presence of air in the crevices of skin, doctors use contact solutions.
It is important to remember that high ultrasound exposure can trigger the damage of the tissue. That is why nothing greater than 2 W/cm2 of the head of the applicator is used. (How to use ultrasound machine)
How Is the Machine Applied?
An average machine features an ultrasound transducer. It is also called a sound head. Before the procedure there should be some gel applied to the body part. Then the physician starts moving the transducer in a small circular direction
The therapist can change settings on the machine in order to control the depth of the ultrasound wave’s penetration. There’s also a possibility to change the intensity of the ultrasound. Different stages of healing require different settings of the physical therapy ultrasound machine.
How Does It Work?
This machine creates heat. The energy can transform the ultrasound into warmth in those places, where the waves are reflected (for example, a bone or boundaries between soft tissues).
The waves can affect the deepest parts of the tissue. They act as non-thermal agents in cases of muscular-skeletal injuries. This sort of treatment can prevent the possible retention of metabolites, flushing them from the definite area through the stimulated increase in local circulation.
Normal physiologic responses to the work of the therapeutic ultrasound machine include:
- Increased membrane permeability;
- acceleration and compression of the inflammatory phase;
- increase of local circulation;
- stimulation of collagen synthesis;
- release of enkephalins, endorphin as well as serotonin for pain control.
Can Ultrasound Speed Healing
According to the latest statistics, the majority of the patience, who are treated with the help of a physical therapy ultrasound machine, report better mobility, less pain and a speedy recovery. The therapy itself can produce a thermal effect, thus allowing the muscles relax.
When given in daily 25-minute sessions, the ultrasound therapy accelerates the healing of fractures. Many clinical trials prove that the therapy helps to decrease pain and improve physical functions of those patients, who suffer from osteoarthritis. The use of the device has many benefits, and that is why it becomes the choice for easing pain and promoting rapid healing.
