The Best Home Ultrasound Therapy for Back Pain
Back pain is a common problem-four out of five people in America complain of some form of back pain at least once in their lifetime, according to the Mayo clinic. Because the back is an elaborate structure of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and discs, back pain can result from impact to any of these components. Unless doctors prescribe surgery (usually the last resort), back pain can be treated with a number of non-intrusive measures such as physical therapy, medication and acupuncture. Home ultrasound therapy is another viable option.
What is Ultrasound Therapy?
Ultrasound therapy uses high frequency sound waves to deliver heat to tissues of an injured area. According to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, ultrasound therapy is commonly used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, speed up healing, reduce muscle spasms and increase range of motion. It is commonly used to treat tendonitis, arthritis, sports injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, strains and spasms and back pain.
Just how does ultrasound therapy work? The ultrasound unit usually comes with a sound head (or wand) and by moving the sound head gently in strokes or circles over the injured area, heat penetrates the tissue. The heat serves to draw blood into the tissues and uihealthcare.com explains that the tissues then utilize the nutrients bought in by the blood to repair tissues to promote healing.
Along with the heating wand, you need to use an ultrasound gel to provide a medium to transfer sound waves to the body. Using gel containing herbal healing properties can speed up the healing process. Commonly used herbal gels include peppermint, menthol, lavender and eucalyptus.
Best Home Ultrasound Therapy
There are numerous home ultrasound therapy units on the market. The best ultrasound therapy units are FDA approved. Always consult your physician before using one. Some of the common features of an effective ultrasound therapy unit include adjustable therapeutic ultrasound output and auto treatment timer (to prevent overtreatment), and it should emit consistent sound wave intensity over the entire surface of the sound head. Some of the FDA approved ultrasound therapy units include MendMeShop Ultrasound Pain Therapy System; the LG-US1 Portable Home Ultrasound Pain Relief System; the US-1000 1 MHz Portable Home Ultrasound Physical Therapist Massage Machine; and Sonic Relief.
Safe Ways to Use Ultrasound Therapy
Dr. Gerald Malanga, Director of Pain Management at the Overlook Hospital in New Jersey, recommends that home ultrasound therapy be used as an adjunct treatment rather than as the main treatment for acute back pain. Each cycle of therapy should consist of five to ten minutes of treatments, two to three times a day. People with pacemakers and all types of electronic implants should not use such devices, and ultrasound should not be placed over any replacement joints or metal implants or used directly on face, throat and skull.
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