Huntington chiropractor, chiropractor in Huntington, WV

Therapeutic Ultrasound

This treatment should not be confused with diagnostic ultrasound, often used in prenatal screening, but is instead a therapeutic procedure that utilizes sound waves to treat injured muscles, joints, and soft tissues. The sound waves vibrate the tissues back and forth, creating a deep, micro-massage effect. In the case of a recent injury, this helps to decrease scar tissue and adhesion formation, which would otherwise interfere with the body's healing process. The sound waves also decrease inflammation by destroying unwanted inflammatory cells. The sound waves also accelerate healing by stimulating the activity of the cells responsible for cellular and tissue repair. In chronic cases, special settings are used to create a deep-heating effect, heating the tissues far below the skin's surface. This heat, along with the vibrations that are caused by the ultrasound, help to "melt away" the muscle spasms and "knots" felt in our muscles.

What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves and it is administered in the region of soft tissue injuries.

How does Ultrasound work?
The sound waves, some moving with a frequency of 1,000,000 waves per second, penetrate into deep into the tissues. The vibrations and heat break down and disperse unhealthy calcium and other hard tissue accumulations.

What does Ultrasound feel like?
During the treatment most patients either feel nothing, or a pleasant and relaxing sensation below the skin's surface.

Why is Ultrasound used?
The treatment can be administered directly to the affected area and it penetrates deeply. As the temperature rises, blood flow increases and muscle spasms relax thus speeding up the healing process.

What are the benefits of Ultrasound?
Ultrasound stimulated healing without irritation and enhances the body's natural healing ability. It is effective in treating calcium deposition, speeds metabolism and improves blood flow and reduces nerve root irritation.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Often referred to as "muscle stim," the therapy involves low levels of electrical impulses delivered to the injured, painful tissues to reduce pain and speed healing. Often described by patients as a pleasant, "tingling" sensation, or "electrical massage," these impulses stimulate the body to release natural pain relievers, called endorphins. These endorphins reduce pain and inflammation, thereby promoting faster healing of the injured tissues. This therapy is often used to treat acute or chronic pain, as well as strains or sprains of the muscles, joints, and soft tissues of the spine and extremities.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a term that describes the application of ice compresses to reduce the temperature of tissues directly on or below the skin surface. Cryotherapy works on the surface cooling constricts blood vessels, numbs painful areas, and helps relax muscle spasms. Cold temperatures reduce nerve transmission of painful symptoms and provide temporary relief. Cooling affected tissues is effective in reducing and preventing post-traumatic swelling. Local cooling should be applied several times a day during the initial stages of an injury.

Patients Benefits: Helps reduce swelling and inflammation, Numbs affected area to reduce pain, Reduces muscle spasms and is inexpensive and can be self-applied.

Manipulation Diathermy

Shortwave diathermy emits comfortable heat by generating an electromagnetic field which brings soothing relief to many patients suffering from back pain, spasm, bursitis, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Diathermy also acts as a sedative to irritated nerves and induces relaxation and freer movement of muscles and ligaments. In addition to its healing benefits, diathermy helps make movement and stretching easier and less painful.

For instance, with an injured or inflamed joint such as sprained knees, hip, back, or frozen shoulder, the treatment objectives are to relieve pain, prevent stiffness, and restore restricted movement. Diathermy is frequently the most effective means for accomplishing these aims because the deep heat relieves the pain, relaxes the muscle fibers, and permits easier movement.
Diathermy also has a soothing and relaxing effect on the type of muscle spasms and contractures often seen in low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and some spinal disc problems. This type of heat, by going deep into the structures, can often bring about complete relief that lasts for hours and sometimes for days and weeks at a time. Spastic conditions of the stomach, gallbladder and intestines also often respond well to the application of diathermy.