Therapeutic Ultrasound is a method of stimulating tissue beneath the skin's surface using sound waves. It's like a very high frequency sound massage which can penetrate up to 5 inches below the surface of your skin.

The sound waves are very high frequency, typically between 800,000Hz and 2,000,000Hz. The sound cannot be heard by humans or animals (humans can only hear sounds up to about 20,000Hz). This very high frequency sound affects very small molecules and cells in the body, and actually causes them to move around.

The way ultrasound waves are transferred into the body is a function of many factors. The frequency of the ultrasound waves is actually opposite to how deep they will penetrate the body. For example, a 1MHz ultrasound will penetrate about 4 inches below the skin, whereas a 2MHz ultrasound unit will only penetrate about 2 inches. While a low frequency means deeper penetration, using too low of a frequency will mean that the waves are too wide to properly move the molecules. For therapeutic applications, 1MHz is the optimal frequency for both effectiveness and penetration.

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Power output is another significant factor. It is measured in watts per square centimeter. The higher the power, the more energy is transferred into the body. If too high a power output is used and an ultrasound unit is left sitting still on the body, it is possible to burn the tissue beneath the skin. While several professional ultrasound machines are capable of these high powers, your medical practitioner will typically use a lower power setting, below 1 watt per centimeter squared. More power is not necessarily better. Though some therapists may use higher powers to speed up ultrasound treatments, it is actually more effective to use a lower power setting for a longer period of time to achieve the optimal healing effect.

The power output rating is often broken down into two separate units: peak intensity and average intensity. Peak intensity can be thought of as how tall the sound waves being sent into your body are. The waves need to be large enough to affect the tissue and provide the desired therapeutic effect. At the same time, your body tissue needs breaks between groups of waves to cool down. So, Ultrasound machines actually send the waves in "pulses" (groups,) giving your body a vibrate-rest-vibrate-rest effect. The average intensity is a measure of how much energy is transferred over a period of vibrate-rest cycles.

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Ultrasound machines provide a Total Power Output rating. High power units are typically used with large applicator heads to treat larger areas of the body. The important measurement part of ultrasound is the watts per square centimeter mentioned above, not the total unit power. Again, it is more effective to treat the affected area more frequently and for longer periods of time, using a lower power setting.

When applied directly to the skin, an ultrasound device cannot effectively transfer the sound waves into the body. To make it work properly, a conductive medium is required - ultrasound gel. The gel simply makes it possible for the sound waves to travel from the unit head into your body. Ultrasound treatments without gel is ineffective, and can damage the ultrasound unit.

The heating and massaging effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound have two primary benefits. First, it increases blood flow to the treated area, which speeds the healing process. Second, it reduces swelling and edema, which are the main sources of pain.

Ultrasound can also be used to administer therapeutic medicines into the body, through a process called phonophoresis. In such a case, there are 3 benefits to a treatment, the first two from the massaging effect of ultrasound discussed above, and the third from phonophoretically administering the medication. Ultrasound treatments with Phonophoresis are rapidly becoming more popular than Ultrasound Therapy alone, due to the added benefits.

For most injuries and ailments, a cycle of ultrasound therapy should optimally consist of 5-10 minute treatments, repeated 2-3 times per day for the duration of the healing period- this routine will mean fast, efficient healing, allowing you to get back to your normal life without being in pain. This surprises many people who have gone for single treatments in clincs only 2 or 3 times each week. The clinic approach, while providing the benefits of ultrasound therapy, simply become too expensive and too inconvenient.

An incredibly wide variety of ailments are treated using ultrasound. Essentially, ultrasound will help anywhere you need increased blood circulation and reduced swelling/edema.

Injuries to the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage are excellent candidates for ultrasound treatments. Typically, these types of injuries are very slow to heal due to constant use and/or poor or slow blood circulation. Constant use of an injured area will only result in further injury. Regular applications of ultrasound therapy over the duration of the healing period will quickly and significantly reduce pain as well as recovery time- the ultrasound-stimulated tissue and increased blood flow speed the healing process, while the swelling/edema is reduced.

Most professional athletes use ultrasound therapy as a preventative measure to protect themselves against injury. Using ultrasound before and after very physically demanding activities aids in the warm-up/warm-down process. Athletes with chronic ailments from previous injuries also use ultrasound to promote circulation to the injured area and to reduce any swelling and pain which may impact their performance. Many professional athletes have purchased personal ultrasound units, due to their frequent use.

People who suffer from chronic ailments associated with swelling and pain will also experience great benefit from ultrasound. Those who suffer from Arthritis, Bursitis, Carpal and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, or swollen discs use ultrasound to reduce the swelling and pain associated with their ailment. Non-chronic conditions, such as Achilles Tendonitis, twisted or sprained ankles, or soft tissue/joint injuries in general can be treated and even eliminated with ultrasound therapy. For conditions such as Arthritis, however, ultrasound therapy unfortunately cannot eliminate the disease, but it can reduce the pain and swelling significantly- this allows sufferers to get back to their normal day-to-day activities. When used for treating painful conditions such as these, ultrasound is typically applied using a medicated gel to gain the phonophoretic benefit as well.

As a therapeutic massage device, ultrasound is very effective at reducing muscle tension. People who suffer muscle tension headaches and migraines can use ultrasound on the back of the neck. This is a very common procedure used by massage therapists and chiropractors to treat headache sufferers.

Massage therapists will often offer ultrasound treatments in conjunction with regular massage, as a pain free method of releasing trigger points and "knots" in all the muscles. Using ultrasound on the trigger points of injured muscles helps to relax and reduce the trauma of the injury. When relaxed, the muscle can heal and recover from the injury much more quickly and more effectively, with less scar tissue formation. While full body ultrasound treatments are not practical, ultrasound treatments on specific injured areas are very effective.

If you are not getting your ultrasound gel from MendMeShop, then the answer is yes. Our all-natural gel is the only Effective Topical Therapeutic Gel that is also a Phonophoretic Ultrasound Gel. When we went out looking for an outstanding ultrasound gel to use along with our outstanding ultrasound unit, we didn't like what we found, so we made our own! It is made with natural medical ingredients- Eucalyptus, Bulgarian Lavender, Peppermint and Menthol. These have anesthetic, counter-irritant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, decongestant, circulatory stimulant properties, and more. When applied topically and phonophoretically massaged into the skin during ultrasound treatments, MendMeShop Ultrasound Gel relieves pain and speeds healing, without any side-effects.

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Peppermint

Menthol

MendMeShop Lavender Infusion Gel is a medical product that is prescribed by doctors and used in many physical therapy and chiropractic clinics. MendMeShop Gel is a professional product for professional quality treatments. It's powerful, effective, hypoallergenic, and it works!

Traditional Ultrasound Therapy treatments can be obtained from most Doctors, Physiotherapists, and Chiropractors. Some Massage Therapists also provide Ultrasound treatments.

Phonophoretic Ultrasound Therapy is also available at many Doctor's offices, Chiropractors, and Physical Therapy Clinics. Some clinics may even rent out Ultrasound Kits to patients for use at home after an initial consultation. Typical pricing is $75 - $100 per week for take home units. In-clinic treatment pricing may vary depending on your condition.

Ultrasound Kits are also available for purchase from most medical practitioners who offer Ultrasound treatments. You can also order online from MendMeShop.

Our Home Therapeutic Ultrasound Kit is designed for people who require or desire ultrasound treatments on a regular basis. Compact, light-weight, safe, portable and very easy to use, it provides people with a means to give themselves convenient, private, and much less expensive ultrasound treatments.

The units come with a bottle of our naturally medicated ultrasound gel that, through the process of phonophoresis, delivers anti-inflammatory and pain relieving ingredients deep into the treated area. The combination of phonophoretically delivered medications and the regular ultrasound therapy provide incredible pain relief and greatly speed the healing process.

In addition to the ultrasound unit and medicated gel, our kits also come with an illustrated treatment manual and colorful trigger point chart to guide you through treating almost every part of your body. The kit also includes a handy portable travel bag so that you can take your kit with you wherever you go.

Home Ultrasound Kits are radically changing lives, as well as the professional therapeutic community. A low cost, safe, easy-to-use unit allows professionals to provide their patients with units to take home and use for the duration of the healing process. This means you can get your treatments 3 times per day, every day, instead of just a couple times per week. This therefore means a fast, efficient recovery, with reduced pain- guaranteed.

Warnings for ultrasound use:

• Never use your ultrasound unit for treatment without first applying the conductive ultrasound gel.
• Never clean the unit with water or submerge it under water.
• Never use ultrasound on children under the age of 16 without the recommendation/supervision of your physician/pediatrician.

The use of ultrasound is NOT recommended for use:

• Over organs (stomach, liver, lungs, spleen, bowels, heart, kidneys)
• Over the pelvis, abdomen and lumbar (lower back) region in pregnant or potentially pregnant females.
• Over highly ultrasound-sensitive organs (eyes, ears, ovaries, testicles, brain, spinal cord)
• Over mucous membranes (mouth, nose, rectum/anus, vagina)
• On patients with pace-makers
• On patients with phlebitis and/or deep venous thrombosis
• On patients with hemophilia
• On patients with spina bifida or surgical laminectomies of the spine
• On tissue and/or bone with an active infection
• Over areas suspected to be cancerous or pre-cancerous
• Over de-sensitized (numb, hypoaesthesia) areas of the skin (e.g., diabetic neuropathy)
• Over open sores or lesions
• In the front of the upper neck (thyroid region)
• Over areas that have had cortisone injections in the last 30 days