Ultrasound Therapy at Home in Bibwewadi, Pune

If you have heard of ultrasound as a pregnancy scan, the physiotherapy version sounds odd. Therapeutic ultrasound is a different use of the same kind of sound waves: a probe is moved over a thin layer of gel on the skin, and the waves pass into the tissue underneath. This page describes where it might help, what the evidence says, and who should not have it. See our ultrasound therapy page for general information and the guide to ultrasound therapy at home in Bibwewadi for more on local practice.

What it is meant to do

At the settings used in physiotherapy, the sound waves are absorbed by tissues such as tendons, ligaments and the fibrous covering of muscle. Depending on the settings, they produce a mild warming effect or a mechanical effect that is thought to influence healing. It is a passive treatment: the patient lies still while the physiotherapist moves the head in small circles.

The evidence is honest but unexciting. Some reviews find small benefits for certain problems, while others find little difference from a placebo. Because of this, we do not rely on ultrasound for any condition. If it is used, it is a minor part of a plan led by exercise, load management and advice, and we stop if it is not clearly helping.

Problems where we might consider it

• Plantar heel pain. For people who stand or walk a lot, such as shop staff, teachers or anyone on their feet through the day.
• Tennis or golfer's elbow. Common in people who grip, lift and carry at home or at work.
• Achilles or patellar tendon soreness. After a change in running or walking load.
• Muscle and ligament strains. In the sub-acute phase, when swelling has settled.

For each of these, the foundation is gradual loading of the tendon, correcting what overloaded it and giving it time. See sports injury physiotherapy and manual therapy for the rest of the toolkit.

Safety: when we do not use ultrasound

The physiotherapist will not apply ultrasound:

• over or near a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, or over the abdomen or lower back in pregnancy;
• over the eyes, the front of the neck, the heart or the testes;
• over a known or suspected tumour, or an area with unexplained swelling or a lump;
• over an active infection, a recent fracture that has not been cleared, or open growth plates in a child;
• over a vein that may contain a clot, or an area of reduced sensation, where you cannot tell if it is too warm;
• over areas with poor circulation, or on tissue that has had radiotherapy.

The head is kept moving at all times to avoid hot spots, and the physiotherapist asks how it feels throughout.

How it works at your home

A portable unit is placed on a table or a bed beside you. You sit or lie so that the painful area is exposed and supported. Gel is applied, and the head is moved slowly over the area for a limited time. The skin is checked afterwards and the gel wiped off. The rest of the visit is spent on exercises and advice. If there is nothing the machine would add, we skip it. A first assessment decides whether ultrasound is considered at all.

Looking after the tissue between visits

• Follow the loading exercises exactly. Tendons recover through progressive load, not complete rest.
• Check your shoes and the surfaces you stand on, and take a seat break when you can.
• If a heel or elbow was sore in the morning, tell the physiotherapist, as the pattern of pain guides the treatment.

When pain needs medical review

See a doctor if the area is hot, red and swollen, if you have fever, if a tendon has suddenly given way or there is a pop followed by weakness, or if pain is constant and worse at night. These need assessment before any physiotherapy treatment.

Use the booking page to arrange a visit, or read about home physiotherapy in Bibwewadi.