What is the best technique from the research for applying ultrasound to a patient?
Answer
There are several techniques that have been tossed out there including continuous versus stationary. I think you will find that no one really advocates a stationary technique as we know that there are hot spots on the ultrasound transducer. We need to make sure that we move that transducer and we move it at a speed of 3 to 4 cm per second. Longitudinal versus circular strokes have been explored in the literature. Longitudinal strokes with an ultrasound transducer that has hot spots means that you are going to be painting the same line over and over again with the same hot spot versus if you go in circles, you can actually reduce the likelihood that you are going to get a painful spot or an uncomfortable region with the ultrasound treatment.
You want to maintain constant and parallel contact with the surface of the transducer with the skin. You want to keep that transducer right on the skin so that you get good conduction. If you fail to do that, such as tilting it, you will decrease the conduction of the ultrasound. Ultrasound does not conduct through air. That is why we need gel. If you tilt that ultrasound head so that there is air between the sound head and the patient’s skin, waves will not be transmitted.
Dawn T. Gulick, PT, PhD, ATC, CSCS
Dawn T. Gulick, PhD, PT, AT, CSCS, a Professor of Physical Therapy. Her areas of expertise are orthopedics, sports medicine, modalities, and medical screening. As a clinician, she has owned a private orthopedic/sports medicine practice. She also provides athletic training services from the middle school to elite Olympic/Paralympic level. As a member of the Olympic Sports Medicine Society, Dr. Gulick has provided medical coverage at numerous national and international events. As a scholar, Dr. Gulick is the author of 4 books (Ortho Notes, Screening Notes, Sport Notes, Mobilization Notes), four book chapters, > 60 peer-reviewed publications, and > 100 professional and civic presentations. OrthoNotes is in the 5th edition and has been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Gulick is an entrepreneur. She is the developer of a mobile app called iOrtho+ (Apple, Android, & desktop versions). Her app has been downloaded over 160K times around the world. She is the Founder & CEO of Therapeutic Articulations. She is the inventor of the Mobil-Aider, an orthopedic device designed to quantify joint mobility. She is the recipient of a phase I and phase II National Science Foundation grant of over $1.2M for the commercialization of the Mobil-Aider. She owns the utility patent & has achieved FDA clearance. She has two other medical projects in process. Dr. Gulick has served and held leadership roles on numerous committees over her 25 years in academia.
Dr. Gulick earned a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Lock Haven University (Lock Haven, PA), a Master of Physical Therapy from Emory University (Atlanta, GA), and a Doctorate in Exercise Physiology from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). She is an AMBUCS scholar and a member of Phi Kappa Phi (past chapter president) and Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.
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