Ultrasound Therapy at Home in Sadashiv Peth, Pune

Therapeutic ultrasound uses sound waves, pitched far above human hearing, through a small hand-held applicator and a layer of gel. It is not the scan used to look at a baby or an organ; here the same kind of energy is used to warm or gently stimulate a small area of soft tissue. The patient feels little or only mild warmth.

It is one of the more over-promised tools in physiotherapy, so this page is straight about what it is and is not. The ultrasound therapy guide gives the general description.

Household strain that ends up in a tendon

Ultrasound is considered for localised soft-tissue pain, usually in a tendon or the point where a tendon meets bone. In a home setting in Sadashiv Peth, the usual stories come from repetitive work done by hand:

• Outer elbow pain. Wringing cloth, lifting a heavy pan, or gripping a tool or a pen for many hours can irritate the tendon near the outer elbow. See tennis elbow treatment for the condition itself.
• Heel pain. Standing for long periods on hard floors, or walking the stone lanes in thin footwear, can inflame the sole of the foot near the heel.
• Shoulder tendon pain. Reaching up and out repeatedly can leave the rotator cuff sore, as discussed under frozen shoulder physiotherapy.
• Calf and Achilles strain. Repeated stairs and fast walking can overload the tendon above the heel.

What the evidence honestly says

Reviews of therapeutic ultrasound for common musculoskeletal pain have generally found little or inconsistent benefit over placebo or exercise alone. Some patients report that it relieves pain and some physiotherapists find it a useful adjunct, but it should not be thought of as the main treatment. Strengthening and loading the tendon in a graded way, and changing the activity that provoked the pain, are what the evidence supports most. If ultrasound is used, it is as a minor addition to those measures, and we will say so before starting.

We will also say when we think you can save the effort, for example when the problem is a stiff joint or a nerve-related pain, where ultrasound is not the right tool.

Safety: where it must not be used

• Over the abdomen or lower back in pregnancy.
• Over a known or suspected tumour, or any area of active infection.
• Over a suspected blood clot in a leg vein.
• Over the eyes, the front of the neck, the heart area or the testes.
• Over areas where feeling is reduced, because the person may not notice overheating, and over open wounds.
• Over growing bones in children, or over a pacemaker site.

The physiotherapist keeps the applicator moving, never leaving it on one spot, uses a clean gel layer and checks with you throughout. If the area gets hot or painful, it is lowered or stopped.

How it fits into a home visit

Ultrasound is a small part of a visit, usually a few minutes on the sore spot, followed by the main work: exercises for the tendon and the muscles above and below it, and advice on the task that caused the trouble, such as how you grip, carry or stand. Hands-on work from manual therapy or myofascial release may be added where it makes more sense than a machine.

A pain that wakes you at night, that follows a fall, or that comes with fever or a lump should be examined by a doctor first. When you are ready, book a visit, or read how home physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth works.