The mighty laser and shockwave modalities have sidelined ultrasound and interferential, although they still have their place in our practice.
Ultrasound therapy creates optimal healing effects by improving circulation or bringing nutrients to an area that is injured or recovering. Ultrasound can be sent to the target tissue to eliminate pain, decrease inflammation and improve circulation. Ultrasound is created by using an electrical impulse that goes to a crystal in the head of the ultrasound machine. This produces a vibration and emits a sound wave that can travel into the body through ultrasound gel that is placed on the skin for even distribution. The mechanical vibration creates a mild deep massage effect that numbs pain receptors and promotes circulation to structures that we are not able to reach through light touch.
Interferential is a modality that introduces a mild electrical current through injured tissues which improves circulation at the injured site along with an inhibition of pain fibres. It is often very helpful in the initial phases of an injury to reduce pain and swelling. It produces a pleasant tingling sensation in the tissues and helps the polarity, which is the flow of positive and negative particles in and out of the cell, which is very important for normal functioning cells. This flow of positive and negative particles is disrupted by injury and the interferential helps to restore this normal flow and begins to assist the body in rebuilding injured tissue into healthy tissue.
