Q: My wife has always loved getting ultrasound treatment on her knees. I think a chiropractor could help her with knees and her lower back. Is ultrasound used in chiropractic offices? What is it used for and how does it help people?
A: While doctors of chiropractic are best known for manipulation—the use of their hands to keep the spine in proper alignment—they use other techniques as well in their treatment of problems with the musculoskeletal system. Ultrasound is one of them. It is a painless technique that employs high- or low-frequency sound waves to penetrate and warm tissue and muscle. An ultrasound machine controlled by the chiropractor, physical therapist or an assistant generates the waves. The waves are proven effective in relaxing tissue and muscle and treating spasms and tightness. Increased blood circulation to an injured or tightened area is also a benefit of ultrasound treatment. Increased circulation speeds healing and reduces inflammation. Scar tissue can be loosened up and more easily stretched after an ultrasound treatment to help with deeper levels of healing.
In addition to ultrasound, a chiropractor may also offer a program of therapeutic exercise designed to strengthen and stabilize certain parts of your body, particularly the back and the neck, and therapeutic stretching, essential to minimizing the development of scar tissue after an injury. Many times, chiropractors work with manual therapists who massage the tissue to get more advanced effects that are similar to ultrasound and can be enhanced by its use. Nutrition supplementation may also be used to facilitate the healing process by allowing for the building blocks of tissue to be readily available in the blood.
Your chiropractor has a full complement of techniques he or she can utilize in treating patients. Make an appointment with a chiropractor for a full discussion of how treatment might help you or a loved one.
If you would like more information, health tips and a newsletter from Advantage Health & Wellness PLLC, join our mailing list.
