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Some pain and discomforts require more than one treatment to cure completely and at such situations, multiple solutions like medication and surgeries can complicate things due to two diverse treatments going on at the same time. Well, there is one such solution that offers two treatment in one device without any interference or complications and that is Ultrasound + TENS Therapy.
Combination Therapy in Physiotherapy
Treatment is of no use until and unless the exact trigger point is figured out. You won’t get the result and relief by treating any random spot on your body just because it is paining there. To get rid of the pain permanently it is important to locate the origin of it for which the combination therapy machine is considered the best.
Combination therapy involves the simultaneous application of Therapeutic Ultrasound (US) with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy (TENS) for faster and better relief from pain.
Before getting to know its combined power, let’s understand the individual treatment modalities a bit.
Therapeutic Ultrasound (US)
Ultrasound therapy is a deep heating treatment where the probe or the transducer of the ultrasound machine when vibrates produce sound waves which are transmitted deep into the skin. These waves further hit the underlying tissues causing them to vibrate which then produces heat that relieves the pain or stiffness of that particular area. It is a very low-risk, natural and non-invasive procedure whose heating technique help to alleviate muscle pain, improve blood flow and encourage the body to heal faster and naturally.
Ultrasound therapy machine is one of the oldest and widely used treatment modality that is known to treat acute to very chronic pains and discomforts that include swelling, inflammation, sports injuries, muscle cramps, any condition of joints and ligaments. Issues such as tendonitis, arthritis etc.
TENS Therapy
Whereas Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is a therapy that involves the use of mild electric current to treat pains, aches or discomforts. It is a non-invasive treatment method where a battery-operated device generates small electrical impulses which are transmitted into the affected area of the skin via sticky pads called electrodes attached to the skin. The electrical impulses work on the pain signals and block them from reaching the brain and the spinal cord, thus reducing the pain and relaxing the stiff muscles.
TENS therapy also stimulates the production of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers, helping the body to heal itself faster and in a better way. TENS therapy is known to treat a wide range of conditions like arthritis, period pain, knee; neck; back pain, pelvic pain caused by endometriosis, sports injuries and a lot of others.
How does combination therapy unit work?
Combination therapy unit comprises of Ultrasound and TENS therapy infused in a sleek and handy device that can be carried easily around. It can either be used as the ultrasound device or TENS or the combination of both. When the combination therapy unit comes in contact with the skin of the area to be treated, its Ultrasound waves generate the low voltage electric impulses which block the pain signals from reaching to the spinal cord and brain and thus relieve pain and help relax the tightened muscles. While TENS stimulates the production of endorphins which are the body’s natural painkillers, thereby encouraging our body to heal on its own. The unit comes with adjustable settings which allows you to set the time period and intensity levels of the combination therapy as required as well as the easy switch functionality between the two treatment modalities.
Advantages of combination therapy
The combination of Ultrasound with TENS appears to give rise to excellent treatment effects than individual results because, with the combination of two effective treatment modalities, greater productive treatment depth can be achieved which aids in faster healing of the affected area.
The combination therapy can work its magic if you have any of the following complain;
muscle spasms, strains or cramps
joint pain
postoperative pain and discomfort
bursitis
piriformis syndrome
tissue damage
arthritis or any similar condition
neuropathy
inflammation ailments
regular headaches etc.
Contradictions of Combination Therapy
Just as TENS and Ultrasound individually have some limitations to the areas where it can be applied. Same goes with the combination therapy. It is not advised to use the combination unit on;
any pregnant lady,
open wounds
patients with a pacemaker, electric device or metal implants
fractured bone
patients having any allergy or dermatological lesions
areas around the eyes, breasts, or sexual organs
Conclusion
The combination of TENS and ultrasound therapy has proved its effectiveness since the time being and is said to have cured numerous chronic.