Therapeutic Ultrasound

Within physiotherapy, ultrasound can be used as a therapeutic modality in a session or for owners to use at home. At Mochdre Vets we have purchased a portable ultrasound machine that has pre-selected setting for owners to use at home safely. This will provide your animal with that additional care and attention at home and support their recovery. There are precautions to consider with this treatment therefore it is best you speak to the veterinarian or physiotherapist to decide if this modality suits your animals condition.

How does it work?

Ultrasound uses sound waves to treat deep within tissue structures when the treatment device is placed on an aqueous solution such as ultrasound gel. Without the gel the waves cannot transfer their energy through to the tissue and you risk damaging the machine. The machine can work on different depth based on the frequency and intensity of the wave. Acute injuries are treated with less Hz than chronic injuries as often the issue is more superficial and does not need as much energy to treat. The sound wave stimulates or vibrates the tissue which has multiple effects on the body:

Evidence?

As with many electrotherapy modalities there is limited evidence to support this treatment from a scientific point of view. Therefore, we would like to share some success stories from our lovely clients!

Gibbs has an unexplained thickened patella tendon on one of his hind limbs, which affects how much weight he places through the limb and how he flexes his stifle. He has been attending both treadmill sessions and physiotherapy sessions to help strengthen the surrounding muscle and encourage active flexion of the joint. His owners decided to trial ultrasound to help break down the thickened and fibrous tendon to ease tension in the limb. They found after a week of using the ultrasound “His tendon was smaller and softer and the device was excellent”.

Tess was still attending weekly laser and physiotherapy sessions to ensure she was progressing but found having some form of treatment at home kept her in better condition between sessions. The ultrasound was used on her shoulder to break down scar tissue and trigger points within the muscle. In addition she used it on her spine to help with pain relief and inflammation but more successfully was the treatment on her cruciate. Her mum noted “a marked difference in her lameness” after using the ultrasound.

Molly has an extensive neurological history and manages very well at home. She initially started with us in the treadmill to maintain muscle mass. After a bad turn at Christmas Molly was being treated with laser therapy on a weekly basis. Whenever Molly can’t attend one of her weekly appointments her mum is able to use the ultrasound at home to keep her comfortable, supple and break down any tight trigger points in her muscle. Her mum feels “It helped her a lot and enabled her to walk more”. Molly’s mum noted how she benefited form the daily treatment and found she could even go on walks with her two younger dogs.