Therapeutic ultrasound is a safe and effective tool for treating a variety of conditions that a physical therapist commonly encounters. Pulsed and continuous modes allow for ultrasound to be used for both acute and chronic cases, and ultrasound is most effective as part of an overall treatment plan, including stretching, therapeutic exercise, and mobilization. Phonophoresis is the application of medication to an area of the body using ultrasound waves. The ultrasound waves, through their conductive qualities, assist in the penetration of the topical medication into the skin. The amount of pressure and the time for which it is applied are adjustable according to condition and persons blood pressure.
Some appliances have multiple compartments with separate tubes and controls.
These chambers can be filled sequentially and in some cases to different pressures. External pressure, when applied to a swollen extremity, will help to reduce edema by moving the fluid in the extremity to sites of normal lymphatic or venous drainage. Intermittent compression pumps are used to treat post-mastectomy lymphedema, venous insufficiency, amputations and traumatic edema. Electrical stimulation of individual muscles is a means of providing exercise to muscles that the patient is unable to contract voluntarily. There are various types of electrical stimulation in use today and the type used and its specific application depends on the goals of treatment.