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Jul 26, 2022 · Scientists discovered that sound reduces pain in mice by lowering the activity of neurons in the brain’s auditory cortex (green and magenta) that connect out to the thalamus. Wenjie Zhou. Studies dating back decades have shown that music and other kinds of sound can help alleviate acute and chronic pain in people.
- Overview
- What is ultrasound therapy?
- Can ultrasound therapy treat pain?
- Types of ultrasound therapy
- Benefits
- Is it safe?
- What to expect
- Summary
Ultrasound works by sending sound waves through the body. Doctors can recommend ultrasound therapy to treat pain. It may work best alongside other treatments.
Many people know ultrasound as an imaging tool that allows doctors to see inside the body.
It can also be therapeutic, promoting tissue healing and treating pain.
Both imaging and therapeutic ultrasound procedures use certain sound waves. The biological effects that result depend on the frequency of those sound waves.
Ultrasound uses a round-headed transducer probe to produce sound waves that enter the body. Transducers can both send and receive sound waves.
Diagnostic ultrasound utilizes sound waves to produce images doctors can use for patient assessment. Therapeutic ultrasound uses sound waves to interact with body tissue and modify it in some way, such as:
•pushing or moving tissue
•heating tissue
•dissolving clots
•delivering medication to precise locations in the body
Studies indicate that therapeutic ultrasound has a variety of applications, including treating pain.
A 2020 clinical trial found that continuous, low-intensity ultrasound resulted in significant pain reduction for people with myofascial pain in the shoulder and neck. Myofascial pain is referred musculoskeletal pain that appears in a confined area.
A 2020 review found that ultrasound therapy reduced knee and shoulder pain. It noted that research strongly supports its use for knee pain but that more research is necessary to create guidelines for clinicians.
The review authors indicated that ultrasound might be more effective with other treatments rather than done in isolation.
Diathermy
Diathermy is the practice of creating heat beneath the skin for therapeutic purposes. Body tissues absorb the sound wave energy, resulting in molecular vibration, which converts the sound energy into heat. Target areas include deep muscles, subcutaneous tissues, and joints. Diathermy can treat: •pain •joint contractures •muscle spasms Diathermy may also improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Cavitation
Cavitation refers to the way ultrasound waves create pressure changes in tissue fluids. Bubbles form and then burst, creating changes to nearby tissue. Doctors commonly use cavitation to break down fat cells. Cavitation can treat conditions such as: •Cancer: Doctors use focused ultrasound on cancer cells to break them down and make them more receptive to treatment. •Diabetes: Doctors use cavitation to enhance wound healing for people with diabetes. It may help prevent cardiac problems that can result from diabetes. •Cardiovascular disease: Doctors may also use ultrasound cavitation to treat varicose veins, blood clots, calcified arteries, and veins. •Kidney disease: Doctors use cavitation to break down kidney stones.
Therapeutic ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure that can take place in a clinical setting such as a doctor’s or therapist’s office.
In addition to relieving pain, ultrasound therapy can also:
•increase blood flow
•promote tissue healing
•improve collagen alignment
•increase cell proliferation
Ultrasound is noninvasive and doctors generally regard it as safe. Unlike X-rays, ultrasound does not produce ionizing radiation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that ultrasonic therapy is not safe for everyone and suggests a person tell their practitioner if they:
•have a cardiac pacemaker
•have a malignancy in the target area
•have a healing fracture in the target area
•are pregnant
The ultrasound transducer works using skin contact. A person having this procedure must either wear loose clothing that can be pushed aside or change into a hospital gown.
The ultrasound technician applies hypoallergenic gel to the skin over the target area. The gel helps to conduct the sound waves from the transducer.
The technician then places the end of the transducer on the gel and moves it across the skin while applying gentle pressure.
Treatments are usually short, lasting 5–10 minutes.
Ultrasound can do more than generate diagnostic imaging. It can also promote healing and treat pain.
Therapeutic ultrasound uses sound waves to create heat and movement in body tissue. It can treat various conditions, often in conjunction with other treatments.
- Nancy Lovering
Oct 27, 2024 · Like a massage therapist helps release physical tension, music, and sounds help to decrease the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress hormones like cortisol. Such a process can control anxiety, get a better night’s sleep, and enhance health. The Role of Sound in Healing As Well As for the Treatment of Pain:
Sep 13, 2024 · The idea that sound could potentially be harnessed for pain relief is slightly more novel. In essence, sound healing utilizes resonant frequencies to lower blood pressure, reduce tension, calm ...
Feb 25, 2020 · However the positive side to this is that when you reduce stress, so you can reduce pain. If binaural beats are able to reduce stress levels and help to break the stress and pain cycle, then the chronic pain symptoms can be reduced. Chronic pain patients often struggle with concentration and memory.
Nov 5, 2015 · Listening to music reduces anxiety associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It can also quell nausea and vomiting for patients receiving chemotherapy. Aids pain relief. Music therapy has been tested in patients ranging from those with intense acute pain to those with chronic pain from arthritis. Overall, music therapy decreases pain ...
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Can ultrasound therapy treat pain?
Mar 31, 2023 · During ultrasound therapy, a machine called an ultrasound generator produces sound waves that are directed at the affected area of the body using a handheld probe. The sound waves penetrate deep into the body tissues, causing tiny vibrations that help to reduce pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. Ultrasound therapy is also known as ...
