Electric Stimulation and Ultrasound Therapy
Both Electric Stimulation or Ultrasound therapy can be used by your chiropractor for treatment.
As a treatment, ultrasound can be utilized to decrease edema, increase range of movement, aid in tissue and fracture healing, decrease pain and muscle spasms, and rebuild collagen in the tissue.
Ultrasound treatment utilizes high frequency sound waves to make tissue vibration which causes heat inside the area of treatment. The chiropractor will utilize a coupling medium (gel or water) to transmit the sound waves to the treatment zone. Accordingly, the warmth made expands blood vessels which conveys essential supplements to the cells and expels squander from the tissues.
Electrical Stimulation (E-stim) utilizes the key arrangement of terminals to apply electrical current to particular muscles. E-stim can be utilized for neuro-muscle pathway re-education, decreasing pain and edema, decreasing muscle atrophy and muscle spasms while increasing range of motion.
In most treatments, a chiropractic physician will utilize joined modalities to boost outcomes. There are two particular outcomes which can be accomplished using ultrasound treatment and electrical stimulation: increasing range of motion and managing pain.
Increasing Range of Motion
Contracture or the shortening of muscles, ligaments and tendons can constrain a patient's range of movement. Ultrasound treatment applies profound heat to the muscles with restricted range of movement and helps stimulate the Golgi Tendon Organs which activates the Protective Relaxation Reflex, which is a way of saying it enables the muscle to lengthen and relax. E-stim is utilized to correct muscles or decreased nerve pain. These treatments are generally utilized with orthotics which give patient's a continuous/drawn out stretch over a longer timeframe.
Pain Management
As a means of managing pain, ultrasound therapy increases circulation and blood flow to the effected area. This causes decreased pain as well as a reduction in edema and muscle tightness. Electrical stimulation completes a nerve block which re-educates the pain receptors.