Soft tissue
Therapeutic ultrasound
Deep, gentle heating of sore muscle and tendon with an ultrasound applicator and gel, often paired with an adjustment.
Heat that reaches the tissue a hot pack cannot
Therapeutic ultrasound sends sound waves, far above the range of hearing, through an applicator head to warm tissue several layers below the skin. A heating pad warms the surface and fades long before it reaches a tight tendon or the belly of a deep muscle. Ultrasound works at a different depth. Patients at Tyler Chiropractic usually describe a mild, spreading warmth, nothing sharp and nothing that tingles. That gentle heat is meant to loosen tissue that has tightened around a sore joint, which is why it turns up so often in plans for neck tension, low back strain and stubborn shoulder muscles.
Warm tissue behaves differently from cold, guarded tissue. Blood moves through it more freely, stiff fibers let go a little, and a muscle that was clamped around an irritated segment often relaxes enough that the next step, usually an adjustment, goes in more comfortably. Ultrasound does not move a vertebra and it does not replace hands-on care. What it does is prepare soft tissue so the work that follows has less to push against. At Tyler Chiropractic it is a preparation step, offered by a father and son who treat the whole family.
Ultrasound applicator, clear gel bottle and a blue cold pack on a steel cart
Gel, a slow wand, and a few minutes on each sore area
You sit or lie comfortably while the doctor spreads a layer of clear gel over the sore area. The gel is not decoration. Sound does not travel well through air, and the gel closes the gap between the applicator and your skin so the energy goes into you instead of bouncing away. The applicator is then moved in slow, steady circles or strokes and never parked in one spot, because holding still would overheat a single patch of tissue. Most people find it about as demanding as being handed a warm towel.
Time on each area is short, usually a handful of minutes, and the doctor adjusts the pace to what you tell him. If a spot feels too warm, say so and the wand keeps moving or lifts away. Afterward the gel wipes off with a towel and that part of the visit is finished. Nothing is left on the skin and there is no recovery period, so most patients move straight on to an adjustment or head back out into their day on South Baxter Avenue.
Where ultrasound sits in a visit with an adjustment
Ultrasound is a supporting player at Tyler Chiropractic, not the headline. The adjustments, whether by hand or with the Activator instrument, do the main work of restoring motion to a stiff joint. Ultrasound comes in when the muscles and tendons around that joint are tight enough to resist, such as after a sprain, a long week hunched over a desk, or a fall that left the back guarded. Used first, it softens the area, and the adjustment then has an easier path to follow.
Not everyone needs it. The first visit covers a health history, an exam, x-rays when they are warranted, and a report of findings with a recommended course of care, and the doctors explain which tools they suggest and why. Ask whether ultrasound belongs in your plan and what it is meant to accomplish. Free consultations are offered, so the question costs nothing. Call (903) 595-2664 to set one up with Dr. James A. Smith or Dr. Justin M. Smith.
Tyler Chiropractic — Most major insurance accepted, including BC/BS, Medicare and United Healthcare. Call 903-595-2664.