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Basics of Therapeutic Ultrasound

 

Indications For Therapeutic Ultrasound

  • Soft tissue shortening

  • Pain control

  • Dermal ulcers

  • Surgical incisions

  • Tendon injuries

  • Fracture Healing

  • Phonophoresis

  • Calcium deposits

  • Plantar warts

Contraindications

  • Tumor or malignancy

  • Region of active bleeding or infection

  • Pacemaker

  • During pregnancy, over pelvic, abdominal or lumbar regions

  • Eyes and testes

  • DVT or thrombophlebitis

  • Over heart, stellate or cervical ganglia

  • CNS tissue (normally after a laminectomy)

  • Joint cement, plastic components (metal replacements are ok)

Precautions

  • Acute inflammation

  • Fractures 

  • Breast implants

  • Epiphyseal plates

Complications

Very rare, but can include:

  • Burns

  • Blood cell stasis due to standing waves which results in damage to endothelial lining of blood vessels

  • Cross contamination/infection from the transducer head

Parameters

Rule of thumb: given 2x ERA:

3 C rise at 1MHz, 1.5 W/cm2 for 9 minutes

3 C rise, 1 MHz, 2 W/cm2 for 8 minutes

3 C at  3 MHz, .5 w/cm2 for 10 minutes

 

Need to work with the tissues quickly (within 4 minutes) after finishing the treatment in order to sustain the effects during mobilizations or stretching. 

 

 

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