Therapeutic ultrasound
A modality used by physiotherapists since the 1940s, it is applied using the head of an ultrasound probe which is placed in direct contact with your skin via a transmission coupling gel. Therapeutic ultrasound has been shown to cause an increase in: healing rate, tissue relaxation, tissue heating, local blood circulation and the breakdown of scar tissue.
How it works?
The ultrasound waves are generated by a piezoelectric effect caused by the vibration of the crystals inside the head of the probe. Ultrasonic waves that pass through the skin cause local soft tissue to vibrate. This vibration or cavitation can cause deep heating locally, although generally no sensation of heat is felt by the patient. In situations where a heating effect is undesirable, such as a new injury with acute inflammation, the ultrasound may be pulsed rather than transmitted continuously.