Ultrasound for aches and pain

[Grandote]

You probably only thought of ultrasound (US) in the context of baby prenatal imaging. It has been used for decades as a therapy for sprains, tendonitis, tight muscles, and to heal wounds, ulcers and make bones heal faster. Even in cases in which bones do not unite, ultrasound has often done the job. The only other treatment if bones will not heal is surgery and pins or plates. 

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/treatm...nd-therapy

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Ultrasound is thought to accelerate the normal resolution time of the inflammatory process by attracting more mast cells to the site of injury. This may cause an increase in blood flow which can be beneficial in the sub-acute phase of tissue injury. As blood flow may be increased it is not advised to use ultrasound immediately after injury.

Ultrasound may also stimulate the production of more collagen which is the main protein component in soft tissue such as tendons and ligaments. Hence ultrasound may accelerate the the proliferative phase of tissue healing. It is thought to improve the extensibility of mature collagen and so can have a positive effect to on fibrous scar tissue which may form after an injury. 
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Most doctors do not use it and may sneer at it considering something chiropractors use and probably think of it as a placebo. Most doctors know nothing beyond what they are taught in med school and do not keep up with advances. US is not new, its been used for some 50 years but never got much press.

You can get treatments but they will likely be expensive and you need more than one. From what I hear a series of 3 to 12 treatments or more is usual. Before you go out and buy your own unit, there are some things to be aware of. It has to be kept in motion while using it because the US can cause hot spots in the tissue if left in one place too long. It must not be used over sensitive organs like the eye, ear, brain or spine for the same reason. It also needs a fluid to help it work. US does not transmit through the air, its around 1 million cycles per second and needs a fluid. This can be water, oil, lotion or gel put on the head of the unit before using.

I went ahead and bought a cheapo US unit off ebay for just under $40. I figured it might be just another useless toy but I had read enough about it that there was a possibility it might work well enough that I would get my money's worth out of it. I have plenty of aches and pains, from arthritis to tendonitis to low back pain. I've spent bundles of money over the years on things that didn't work and found a few that did work.

Imagine my surprise when I found my cheap unit does work. Either that or I'm a sucker for the placebo effect. That could be but I expected little. I tried it first on my elbow which has had tendonitis for a couple years that never quite went away. I tried the unit a few times and it feels better now. Seemed better after the first time. I've had low back pain for decades, nothing helps much, it flares up now and then. It was bothering me and I tried the unit, it was hard to reach around but I did. I was astonished when I felt better afterward. I would not say its cured but the discomfort went away and maybe with some more treatments it will get better yet.

Next I tried it on my wrist which has had tendonitis lately, seems to be from using the mouse and keyboard too much plus maybe one or two other things. It felt better afterward but the discomfort came back later. They say quit doing the things that caused the problem but I have to use the computer so I keep aggravating it. I've done a few treatments now and have hopes that it will get better and better.

I've read about it being used on bone fractures, various types of wounds, it seems to work on lots of things. My unit has 3 power settings and can be continuous or pulsed. I put it on medium

Anyone else used this?

[Grandote]

Thanks, Fireplaces.

I'm convinced it works, I'm just not sure exactly what it can do and what the limitations are. Its definitely good for muscles, joints, tendons, connective tissue. Its said to be good for many other things but I have not tried it on all those. I keep using it on my wrist and with holding it in a more ergonomic position plus the US, it feels better. I've notice that when discomfort comes back, its in a different spot than what the treatment covered. You may use it where the discomfort is greatest, it goes away but adjacent areas may ache, perhaps not as badly but next time you hit them. I use it for an average of 5 minutes per general area and move it around constantly.

I tried it on my bad ankle and today it feels somewhat better, the discomfort is in a different place, lol. You might as well buy the unit rather than going to a therapist. One session might save you the cost of the unit and then its free. You can use it every day in multiple locations. They say don't use it in the same place until at least 5 hours have passed. Once or twice a day seems to be ok.

Doctors are not going to broadcast the benefits of us any more than they will tell you about medical mj, glucosamine for arthritis or many other things. There is no money in it for them and you may quit coming back if it works really well. The prescriptions they give you may have been influenced a great deal by incentives given to the doctor by drug salesmen. When a drug rep comes to the office, he does not have to sit and wait long like you have to. Soon as the doctor gets done with the patient, the rep gets shown right in. He always gives out free samples and tells the doc how to win a free vacation. Sort of like santa clause.

If you have arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, tight achey muscles, cramps, and other things, get yourself a us unit. Use it carefully according to directions. I've heard its also good for neuralgia and neuritis. Probably good for many other things too.

[Grandote]

I've read in a couple places that 2 treatments per day are ok. I only do it once per area a day, just to be extra cautious. The main thing is to move it around while using it. I'm holding my hands and wrist straight now while typing and mousing, that I believe was the main part of the problem. I may try a brace. The us and using better posture seems to be helping. I have aches in other areas, I use it every day now in one spot or another.

I'm still surprised how well it works. I'm also surprised word about this has not gotten around. You don't suppose the fact big pharma spends loads of money on advertising has anything to do with that? We get mostly negative news about pot, vitamins, and no news about us therapy. All those things would cut into big pharma's profits as well as the medical establishment. They say follow the money.

Another link explaining benefits http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-ultrasound-therapy/

US provides heating deeper within tissues than a heat pack can do. In addition, it seems to increase blood flow, reduce pain, relieve tense muscles and spasms, stimulate the production of collagen which is important in connective tissue as well as the skin. It can speed healing after surgery and reduce scarring, it can also reduce scar tissue that already exists. Its effects seem to be from more than simple heating but its not fully understood.

3 to 5 minutes per session is average, keep the applicator head moving at all times. You can get cheapo's at ebay or amazon for as little as $10 or as much as several hundred. Mine seems to work fine.

[Grandote]

I used it again 2 days ago on my wrist. I gave it a longer session and covered all angles, top, bottom and sides. It felt a lot better afterward and the next day too. Today its not bad but there is tenderness and a little ache now and then. Fire, I took your advice and ordered a wrist brace so I won't be constantly aggravating it. Got a deal on ebay for $2.50 and a buck shipping.

Today I used it on my lower back and it seems better. I read that its good for neuropathy which I have but not in any specific area which makes it hard to treat. I read that athletes often use it after a practice and sometimes before to prevent injuries. They say it can help reduce scar tissue too. If word gets out about how well it works they will probably try to take it away from us, maybe make it prescription only.

[Grandote]

This is better than drugs for sure. A few days ago my ankle was bothering me a lot. Its messed up pretty bad, I need an artificial ankle which they make but no doctors in my area do the job. It was pretty bad a few days ago and I used the US on it for about 5 minutes then later in the day used it again plus some hydrogen. That combo seemed to work well and the next few days I have only used the h and its still not too bad. Its never good but its tolerable now.

It has worked on everything I've tried it on and I have lots of problem areas. My wrist is not too bad now either. Speaking of hydrogen, I just bought a tank of it, have to get a regulator too, just ordered one. More on that later in another thread.

[Grandote]

I just can't say enough good things about US. Every time I use it on something new I think it won't help with that but it does. Latest thing was I had some sciatica a couple days ago, I figure nothing to lose by trying it. Tried it for a few minutes and the discomfort went away. The benefits seem to last a while, not just temporary.

There seems to be a clear pattern on things that work but which we hear nothing about in the media. If its free and big pharma can't gouge the hell out of us, its not a story. If doctors can't prescribe it and make a bundle, nothing to see here. Its like vitamins, minerals and other supplements, all you see in the media is negative remarks. Follow the money.

[Grandote]

Thanks, Fire

This may not apply to anyone here but is interesting. It seems US helped bring someone out of a coma

http://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S19...5/fulltext

It is still working great for me, I find that for bad tendonitis or arthritis a longer session works better, about 6 minutes instead of 3 or 4. The benefits seem to last for several days. For my sciatica, a 3 minute session over the bad area seems to do it. I have been trying it for sun blotches, I heard it works for that. So far the results are inconclusive. I'm using a 1mz unit, I've heard that a 3mz is better for surface stuff like skin or scars.