Understanding Sonography Treatments, Benefits, Limitations

What are sonography treatments?

Sonography is a medical imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of organs and tissues in the body. Sonography treatments involve the use of ultrasound technology to diagnose and treat various medical conditions. Sonography treatments are non-invasive and typically painless. It can be used:

to create images of internal organs, muscles, and joints to detect abnormalities or injuries.
for therapeutic purposes, such as breaking up kidney stones or guiding needles during biopsies or other medical procedures.

What are the two types of sonography treatments?

Thermal Ultrasound Therapy

Thermal ultrasound therapy, also known as heat therapy, is a type of sonography treatment that uses high-frequency sound waves to generate heat in the tissues of your body.

Applications:

This therapeutic approach can be beneficial for treating chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Thermal ultrasound therapy can be an effective way to manage chronic pain conditions and improve overall mobility.
HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) treatments are recommended for patients suffering from breast cancer. Due to their non invasive nature and a high success rate of 71% in decreasing symptoms these methods are being preferred over the traditional treatment methods.

Alert: Despite their effectiveness there are still very few studies that analyse the long term effect of ultrasound treatments.

Procedure:

During thermal ultrasound therapy, a small handheld device emits sound waves that penetrate deep into your muscles and joints.
These sound waves create friction between the particles inside your tissues, causing them to vibrate and produce heat.
The heat generated by thermal ultrasound therapy increases blood flow to the affected area, which helps promote healing by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to damaged cells.
It also helps reduce inflammation by increasing lymphatic drainage from inflamed tissues.

Thermal ultrasound therapy is typically used in conjunction with other treatments like physical therapy or massage.

Alert: This type of treatment should not be used on open wounds or areas where there is swelling or acute inflammation.

Mechanical Ultrasound therapy

Mechanical ultrasound therapy is another type of non invasive sonography treatment that works by using sound waves to penetrate the body's tissues. However, unlike thermal ultrasound therapy which uses heat to promote healing, mechanical ultrasound therapy uses high-frequency sound waves to create tiny vibrations in the targeted area.

Uses:

promote healing without resorting to more invasive procedures such as surgery.
The vibrations help increase blood flow and stimulate cell repair and growth, which can speed up the healing process for a variety of conditions including muscle strains and joint injuries.
pain relief as it helps reduce inflammation and swelling in affected areas.

Procedure:

During a mechanical ultrasound session, a handheld device called a transducer is applied directly to the skin along with a gel-like substance that allows for better transmission of the sound waves.
The therapist will then move the transducer around on the skin while applying gentle pressure to ensure optimal contact with the affected area.

What conditions can be treated by sonography treatment?

Therapeutic Ultrasound can be used to treat various conditions, including Tendonitis, Joint swelling, Muscle spasms, Pain, Fractures, Ligament injuries, Sprains and Strains, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Myofascial pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Low back pain, Varicose ulcers, Herpes zoster, Pressure sores, Frozen shoulder, Temporomandibular joint disorder, Prolapsed intervertebral disc, Dupuytren's contracture, and Meniscal injury.

Risks and Benefits

What are the benefits of sonography treatment?

Sonography treatment, also known as ultrasound imaging, is a widely used diagnostic tool that has many advantages over other imaging methods.

Non-Invasive: Unlike X-rays or CT scans which require radiation exposure, there are no harmful side effects associated with sonography treatment. This makes it safer and more suitable for pregnant women and children.
Versatile: Another significant advantage of sonography treatment is its versatility. It can be used to examine different parts of the body such as the abdomen, thyroid gland, pelvic area and even blood vessels. The images produced by this method provide valuable information about organs' size, shape and function.
Accurate: Sonography treatment's real-time imaging capabilities allow doctors to observe organ functioning in action which means they can identify problems quickly and accurately diagnose medical conditions like tumours, cysts or growths.
Fast: Sonogram tests can offer quick results making diagnoses faster than other techniques so doctors can start treating patients sooner if necessary without having to wait days for lab results or biopsy reports.
Easy for patients:In addition to being safe and versatile, sonography treatments are comfortable for patients who do not experience any pain during the procedure. There's no need for anaesthesia or sedation since there isn't any invasive surgery involved.

What are the limitations of sonography treatments?

While sonography treatments have many benefits, there are also some limitations to keep in mind.

Conditional uses: One of the main limitations is that this type of treatment can only be used for certain types of conditions and injuries. For example, while it can be helpful for diagnosing soft tissue injuries like muscle strains or ligament sprains, it may not provide much useful information for bone fractures or joint problems. Additionally, because ultrasound waves cannot penetrate through bone or air-filled organs like lungs or stomachs, they are limited in their ability to diagnose deep internal issues.
Expertise: Another limitation is that sonography treatments require a skilled technician who knows how to properly interpret the images produced by the machine. Without proper training and experience, misinterpretation of results could lead to incorrect diagnoses and ineffective treatment plans.
Anxiety inducing: Some patients may find sonography uncomfortable due to pressure being applied during imaging procedures. This discomfort could potentially cause anxiety or fear during subsequent appointments which might lower its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool since patients might not give consent to using it

Despite these limitations, however, sonography remains an important diagnosis option with relatively few risks compared with other imaging technologies such as X-rays and CT scans.

Key Takeaway:

Sonography treatments use ultrasound technology to diagnose and treat medical conditions.
They involve two types of treatments: thermal ultrasound therapy and mechanical ultrasound therapy.
Thermal ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to create heat and treat chronic pain conditions, while mechanical ultrasound therapy creates tiny vibrations to speed up the healing process for conditions like muscle strains and joint injuries.
Sonography treatments can diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including fractures, tendonitis, and myofascial pain.
They are non-invasive, painless, and safe for pregnant women and children.
However, their limitations include a need for skilled technicians and difficulty in diagnosing bone or air-filled organs.

Frequently asked questions:

What is sonic muscle treatment?
It is used to reduce inflammation in the tissues
How long should ultrasound treatment last?
Is ultrasound therapy safe?
Yes, there are low chances of complications

Reference

Dr Purva Singh

MBBS MS OBGYN
IVF Specialist