While the science is still out on both treatments, and more studies are needed, most evidence states that ultrasound doesn’t help with pain relief. TENS has more scientific support, and several studies have found that it does help patients in pain. So, in that sense, TENS is definitely a better pain treatment.
Full Answer
What is the difference between ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation?
In managing pain, ultrasound therapy increases circulation and blood flow to the effective area which aids in decreasing pain as well as edema and muscle tightness. Electrical stimulation completes a nerve block which reeducates the pain receptors. It’s extremely important to be aware of any medication a patient is taking when using e-stim.
How does ultrasound therapy help in managing pain?
In managing pain, ultrasound therapy increases circulation and blood flow to the effective area which aids in decreasing pain as well as edema and muscle tightness. Electrical stimulation completes a nerve block which reeducates the pain receptors.
Can tens be used to treat low back pain?
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) It is generally used in chronic pain conditions and not indicated in the initial management of acute low back pain. Documentation of greater than 50% reduction in pain with a treatment trial may help substantiate its true beneficial effects as opposed to a placebo response.
What is the difference between physical therapy and ultrasound?
When cavitation is unstable, it can be dangerous to your body's tissues. So, your physical therapist will work to ensure that the cavitation during therapy is stable. Therapeutic ultrasound uses heat and energy to increase circulation, decrease pain, increase flexibility, and speed healing.
When do you use TENS ultrasound?
Ultrasound unit machine is one of the oldest and widely used treatment modality that is known to treat acute to very chronic pains and discomforts that include swelling, inflammation, sports injuries, muscle cramps, any condition of joints and ligaments. Issues such as tendinitis, arthritis, etc.
What is TENS and ultrasound?
A TENS device is a small, battery-operated device that has leads connected to sticky pads called electrodes. These electrode pads are attached directly to your skin and the tens machine works when switched on sends small electrical pulses to the nerves, spinal cord and brain which can relieve pain.
Is electrotherapy the same as ultrasound?
Ultrasound (US) is a form of mechanical energy (not electrical), and therefore, strictly speaking, not really electrotherapy at all, but does fall into the Electro Physical Agents grouping. Mechanical vibration at increasing frequencies is known as Sound Energy.
Does ultrasound help with nerve pain?
Ultrasound therapy has been shown to be very effective in resolving inflammation and reducing pain, while promoting more rapid healing. Ultrasound therapy works by two mechanisms: thermal and mechanical.
Does a TENS unit promote healing?
It is suggested that TENS stimulates skin wound healing and tendon repair, as well as the viability of random skin flaps. Such effects may be due to the release of SP and CGRP, which would increase blood flow and, consequently, hasten the events of tissue repair.
What does ultrasound electrotherapy do?
Indications: Combining ultrasound (US) with electrical stimulation (e-stim) is a treatment option to decrease acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, decrease muscle tone-spasm, increase local circulation, and increase-maintain joint range of motion (ROM).
How does ultrasound reduce inflammation?
The sound waves, or ultrasound rays, penetrate within the body generating heat increasing blood flow, and relaxing muscles and connective tissues thereby reducing pain and muscle spasms. The stimulation of these tissues in this way encourages repair and can greatly reduce the healing time of certain injuries.
Can ultrasound therapy be harmful?
Ultrasound heating which can lead to irreversible tissue changes follows an inverse time-temperature relationship. Depending on the temperature gradients, the effects from ultrasound exposure can include mild heating, coagulative necrosis, tissue vaporization, or all three.
How many times a day can you use ultrasound therapy?
How often can you use ultrasound therapy? Ultrasound therapy can be used as often as necessary, there are no limits. We usually use it for five minutes at a time during treatment. Whether we use it or not will depend on the client's injuries.
Does ultrasound show pinched nerves?
Diagnostic tests for a pinched nerve Usually, imaging such as ultrasound or MRI is used to find the cause of pressure on the nerve. But, increasingly, ultrasound is seen as more valuable as it can detect pinched nerve changes such as swelling of the nerve.
What is therapeutic ultrasound used for?
Therapeutic ultrasound is often used for treating chronic pain and promoting tissue healing. It may be recommended if you experience any of the following conditions: carpal tunnel syndrome. shoulder pain, including frozen shoulder.
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What is the purpose of ultrasound therapy?
Ultrasound therapy applies deep heat to the muscles with limited range of motion and helps stimulate the Golgi Tendon Organs which activates the Protective Relaxation Reflex, which is a fancy way of saying it allows the muscle to lengthen and relax.
How does ultrasound help with pain?
In managing pain, ultrasound therapy increases circulation and blood flow to the effective area which aids in decreasing pain as well as edema and muscle tightness. Electrical stimulation completes a nerve block which reeducates the pain receptors.
What are the two modalities used by physical therapists?
One of the main goals of any physical therapist is to enhance a patient’s function in a cost/time efficient manner and two of the modalities commonly used to achieve this are: ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation.
What is combined therapy for physical therapy?
There are two specific results which can be attained through the use of ultrasound therapy and/or electrical stimulation: managing contractures/increasing range of motion and managing pain. Combination Therapy Machines are Available to Perform both Ultrasound.
How does ultrasound work?
How Ultrasound Therapy Works. Ultrasound Therapy uses high frequency sound waves to create tissue vibration which causes heat within the area of treatment . The physical therapist will use a coupling medium (gel or water) to transmit the sound waves to the treatment area. As a result, the heat created increases blood flow which delivers important ...
How does electrical stimulation work?
How Electrical Stimulation Works. Electrical stimulation (E-stim) uses the strategic placement of electrodes to apply electrical current to specific muscles. E-stim can be used for neuro-muscular reeducation, decreasing pain and edema, decreasing atrophy and muscle spasms while increasing range of motion.
What is ultrasound used for?
In physical therapy, ultrasound can be used to reduce edema, promote tissue and fracture healing, reduce pain and muscle spasms, increase range of motion, and remodel collagen.
What is TENS used for?
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to treat a variety of pain conditions. Success rates range greatly due to many factors including electrode placement, chronicity of the problem, and previous treatments. It is generally used in chronic pain conditions and not indicated in the initial management of acute low back pain.
What is ultrasound used for?
Ultrasound is a deep heating modality that is most effective in heating tissues of deep joints. It has been found to be helpful in improving the distensibility of connective tissue, which facilitates stretching. It is not indicated in acute inflammatory conditions where it may serve to exacerbate the inflammatory response and typically provides only short-term benefit when used in isolation. It is perhaps best used to improve limitations in segmental spinal range of motion following recurrent or chronic low back pain as an adjunct in facilitating soft tissue mobilization and prolonged stretching by a skilled manual therapist.
How does galvanic stimulation work?
Its effect on muscle spasm and pain is felt to occur by its counter-irritant effect, effect on nerve conduction, and a reduction in muscle contractility. Use of electrical stimulation should be limited to the initial stages of treatment, such as the first week after injury so that patients may quickly progress to more active treatment, which includes a restoration of range of motion and strengthening. It may often be combined with ice or heat to enhance its analgesic effects.
Should patients be instructed in the use of simple modalities at home prior to their physical therapy sessions?
If at all possible, patients should be instructed in the use of simple modalities at home prior to their physical therapy sessions and in conjunction with their home exercise program.
Is ultrasound contraindicated for laminectomy?
The use of ultrasound is contraindicated over a previous laminectomy or peripheral nerve secondary to alterations in membrane stability. It should be discontinued as segmental motion is improved with the patient then moved into an active strengthening program and eventual transference to an independent home exercise program.
What is therapeutic ultrasound?
Therapeutic ultrasound is a treatment modality commonly used in physical therapy. It is used to provide deep heating to soft tissues in the body. These tissues include muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments.
How Is Ultrasound Applied?
Ultrasound is performed with a machine that has an ultrasound transducer (sound head). A small amount of gel is applied to the particular body part; then your physical therapist slowly moves the sound head in a small circular direction on your body.
How Does Ultrasound Work?
Inside your physical therapist's ultrasound unit is a small crystal. When an electrical charge is applied to this crystal, it vibrates rapidly, creating piezoelectric waves. These waves are emitted from the ultra sound sound head as ultra sound waves.
Why is ultrasound used in the body?
Ultrasound is often used to provide deep heating to soft tissue structures in the body. Deep heating tendons, muscles, or ligaments increases circulation to those tissues, which is thought to help the healing process. Increasing tissue temperature with ultrasound is also used to help decrease pain.
What are the contraindications for ultrasound?
There are some instances where you should not use ultrasound at all. These contraindications to ultrasound may include: 1 Over open wounds 2 Over metastatic lesions or any active area of cancer 3 Over areas of decreased sensation 4 Over parts of the body with metal implants, like in a total knee replacement of lumbar fusion 5 Near or over a pacemaker 6 Pregnancy 7 Around the eyes, breasts, or sexual organs 8 Over fractured bones 9 Near or over an implanted electrical stimulation device 10 Over active epiphyses in children 11 Over an area of acute infection
Can ultrasound be used for rotator cuff tears?
Generally speaking, any soft-tissue injury in the body may be a candidate for ultrasound therapy. Your physical therapist may use ultrasound for low back pain, neck pain, rota tor cuff te ars, knee meniscus tears, or ankle sprains.
Can a physical therapist use ultrasound?
Your physical therapist may use ultrasound to help improve your condition. If so, be sure to ask about the need for ultrasound and possible risks. Also, be sure that you are also performing an active self-care exercise program in the PT clinic and at home. If you are actively engaged in your rehabilitation, you can ensure that you have a safe and rapid recovery back to normal function.
Why is ultrasound not used during the inflammatory, proliferative and repair phases?
The application of ultrasound during the inflammatory, proliferative and repair phases is not of value because it changes the normal sequence of events, but because it has the capacity to stimulate or enhance these normal events and thus increase the efficiency of the repair phases.
What is ultrasound energy?
Ultrasound (US) is a form of mechanical energy (not electrical), and therefore, strictly speaking, not really electrotherapy at all, but does fall into the Electro Physical Agents grouping. Mechanical vibration at increasing frequencies is known as Sound Energy. The normal human sound range is from 16 Hz to something approaching 15-20,000 Hz (in children and young adults). Beyond this upper limit, the mechanical vibration is known as ultrasound. The frequencies used in therapy are typically between 1.0 and 3.0 MHz (1 MHz = 1 million cycles per second).
What is the average half value depth for ultrasound?
As it is difficult, if not impossible to know the thickness of each of these layers in an individual patient, average half value depths are employed for each frequency: 3MHz - 2.0cm; 1MHz - 4.0cm.
How does ultrasound affect scar tissue?
The application of therapeutic ultrasound can influence the remodelling of the scar tissue in that it appears to be capable of enhancing the appropriate orientation of the newly formed collagen fibres and also to the collagen profile change from mainly Type III to a more dominant Type I construction, thus increasing tensile strength and enhancing scar mobility . Ultrasound applied to tissues enhances the functional capacity of the scar tissues. The role of ultrasound in this phase may also have the capacity to influence collagen fibre orientation as demonstrated in an elegant study by Byl et al. , though their conclusions were quite reasonably somewhat tentative.
What is pulsed ultrasound?
Pulsed Ultrasound. Most machines offer the facility for pulsed US output, and for many clinicians, this is a preferable mode of treatment. Until recently, the pulse duration (the time during which the machine is on) was almost exclusively 2ms (2 thousandths of a second) with a variable off period.
How does ultrasound help healing?
It is suggested that the application of US to injured tissues will, amongst other things, speed the rate of hea ling & enhance the quality of the repair. The following information is intended to provide a summary of some of the essential research in this field together with some possible mechanisms through which US treatments may achieve these changes. It is not intended to be a complete explanation of these phenomena or a comprehensive review of the current literature. It may, none the less, provide some useful basic information for clinical application.
Why is ultrasound important?
For tissues in which there is an inflammatory reaction, but in which there is no ‘repair’ to be achieved, the benefit of ultrasound is to promote the normal resolution of the inflammatory events , and hence resolve the ‘problem’ This will of course be most effectively achieved in the tissues that preferentially absorb ultrasound – i.e. the dense collagenous tissues.
