| Diagnostic ultrasound allows us to image the internal organs in a
different way the x-rays do. Similar to the ultrasound done on women during pregnancy, the
resulting display is used frequently to diagnose a variety of
problems, including
heart disease, liver disease and cancer, bladder stones and cancer,
pregnancy, cystic ovaries, uterine infections, intestinal diseases
and many others. Ultrasound can also be used to guide a needle to
drain fluid or biopsy tumors.
A therapeutic
ultrasound machine doesn't produce an image but instead uses the ultrasound wave to
produce heat to warm tissues. The heat
produced can penetrate as far as 5 cm. into muscle tissue.
This type of ultrasound treatment increases elasticity of tissue, changes nerve
conduction, dilates blood vessels, increases enzyme activity within
cells, raises the pain threshold and changes the activity of muscle
tissue. It is used for management of joint contracture, scar tissue,
tendonitis, bursitis, muscle spasms, pain and wound healing.
The difference between
the two is that diagnostic ultrasound is a diagnostic tool and the
therapeutic ultrasound machine is a treatment tool.
Reference
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Ultrasound
Therapeutic Ultrasound |
