Ultrasound Machine

Description

Notes

Comments

If the person that asked about the Ultrasound device has a spinal cord stimulator implanted please tell them that they should not have Ultrasound therapy as it is one of the contraindications from Medtronic. Karen - Edgware, Middlesex, UK

My physio gave me the technical details of what she does for me, and here is what she has written down.
Treatment administered directly over the pain areas
Frequency of 1 MgHz
0.10 Watts/cm2
Pulse ratio 1:4
3 minutes per area
If the frequency is any greater then I don't think most RSD sufferers could tolerate it, so it's important to check that the one Boots are retailing actually goes as low as that. Yvonne - UK

I had ultrasound on my RSD (when it was called Sudecks!) and unfortunately it made the pain worse (throbbing pain, and increased burning) so we only managed about 4 goes of 20 minutes before the physio decided it was a bad idea. Catherine - Huddersfield, Yorkshire, UK

I was very interested to learn about Catherine's experience with this type of treatment. When my physio first tried it with the usual settings I had exactly the same reaction and was in tears with the pain. She then adjusted all the settings to the lowest possible and after that I really did start to get some benefit. Initially I could only take less than 2 minutes per treatment area but gradually this was built up so that I could tolerate three minutes - I certainly couldn't cope with any longer than that.

As with so many aspects of RSD, this is an area where treatment has to be tailored to the individual, and what works for one person might have no effect on another - or even make things worse (sigh). But ultrasound may be an avenue worth exploring GENTLY for some - the main thing is to ensure that the settings really can go low enough for RSD sufferers to cope. Yvonne - UK

In 1984 a study of using ultra-sound in the treatment of multiple sclerosis was undertaken and the results were not very convincing. The idea was to test its suitability in reducing the pain caused by spasticity, involuntary muscle spasms and contractions, similar to the spasms suffered in peripheral nerve disorders by some sufferers. The report concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the treatment provided beneficial long term improvement to the patient, and that patients who had initially reported varying degrees of relief , the benefits were relatively short term and that this in some instances could be due to the placebo effect of the treatment. My former physio discussed this treatment with me, although nothing came from the proposal, I was led to understand that the idea of the treatment was to help de-sensitise the affected area. Pete - Sheffield, UK

I have also had ultrasound used on me, before they realised it was RSD and not a sprained neck and back.(which is what I was being treated for). It was something that definitely did not work for me....increase in pain and they decided it was not the best treatment for me, and gave up using it after a while. Incidentally it was this physio who realised there was something very wrong with me and wrote to my doctor and got the ball rolling on my RSD diagnosis. Wendy - Wellington, New Zealand

I had Ultrasound when I had physio. I'm not sure whether it helped to be honest. It did feel funny when I was receiving treatment.. But it was not for pain relief, but to help to get my /hand/arm /shoulder moving after I had normal Physio ( hand class) and Occupational Therapy. Sharon - Lincoln, UK

I have had extended periods of ultrasound therapy - we (my PT who had had RSD and I) continued and continued, and tried and re-tried, simply because we thought it might take a while for the benefit to "kick in." It never did, though I understand others have had success with it (hence the repeated re-tries). Perhaps someone who has gained relief because of it will write a note to you as well. Birdie - USA

I found it interesting that you list ultrasound among your treatments because my own PT (physical therapist) has studiously avoided using it because of the potential of worsening my RSD. However, I feel it is something that RSD sufferers should be aware of because it is available in every Physical Therapy clinic, and they may be inadvertently HURT by what they don't know.
I have had diagnostic ultrasound downtown, with little bother to the RSD, but the machine (based on ultrasound) that the rehab hospital used to check the fullness of my bladder caused a very bad pain and sensitivity reaction, so I have trusted my PT in this matter. She may still believe that the way to make RSD pain better is to USE the limb NO MATTER how bad the pain gets, but she seems to know about the ultrasound. Amanda, Pennsylvania, USA