Various Types of Ultrasound Therapy
Ultrasound therapy is used for treating many conditions such as cancers, tumors, dental conditions, and many others. In most of these, ultrasound is used physically, to establish diagnosis or to provide an image of certain internal organs or parts of our body, making it easy to track down any problems or possible illnesses. However, it can also be used when fighting tumors or relaxing one’s body, though these cases are far less frequent.
The Good Side
The ultrasound has two good sides. Firstly, it is an excellent tool for fighting cancerous cells, cysts, tumors, bacteria and numerous others. Secondly, it is known to speed up the healing process of our organism significantly, some claiming that in certain situations it provides even a 30% faster healing process.
The Bad Side
Unfortunately, there are those as well. One of them is the so called “cavitation”. This mainly manifests through pain and burning sensation the patient feels during exposure. Namely, the gas in the nuclei of our tissue cells gets heated, thus causing this pain and discomfort or even nausea, breathing problems and disorientation.
We see that even though most doctors claim this therapy to be completely safe and recommended, there may be certain problems caused by it. Regardless, any overexposure to these sound frequencies may be dangerous. That being said, if pain and or kind of discomfort are felt during the ultrasound treatment, one should complain immediately and stop the treatment since the frequencies, if wrong, may cause permanent tissue damage and may even harm one’s nervous system.
Furthermore, this therapy should not be applied over certain body parts or under some specific conditions. Pregnant women or women having their periods should not have their pelvic regions, their lower abdomen or back exposed to ultrasound treatment. Also, our eyes, sex organs or female breasts are not suitable for this treatment. Ultrasound frequencies should not be applied over certain bone fracture, skin wounds or malignant tumors of any sorts. Additionally, people with pacemakers or breast implants should avoid ultrasound as well.
Finally, even though the ultrasound treatment has proven to be quite effective, some still doubt it’s worthiness claiming that it does nothing that other similar treatments involving heat or stretching could not do. There have also been cases of diverse efficiency, where the therapy worked on some people, while on others it did not.
The most important thing is that it can and is beneficial and life-saving in some cases. Nevertheless, one should bear in mind all the negative sides of it and be careful, using only the best the ultrasound treatment has to offer.
Natural childbirth IIa: is ultrasound necessary & effective in pregnancy?
I’d like to begin this next article by telling you what it is not. It is not a blanket condemnation of ultrasound, nor is it a judgment of women who choose routine ultrasound during their pregnancy. It is not an argument against using ultrasound to investigate suspected problems, or to detect potential abnormalities, provided the woman is adequately informed.
The purpose of this article is to clarify the issues surrounding ultrasound’s use in clinical practice, to critically examine the clinical benefit of routine prenatal ultrasound, and to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with repeated ultrasound scans.
This was going to be a very long article, so I decided to split it into two parts. In part A I will discuss the use of ultrasound in clinical practice and examine whether it improves birth outcomes. In part B, I will review studies on the safety of ultrasound as it is used today, and make recommendations for expecting mothers.
History of ultrasound and use in clinical practice
Ultrasound was originally developed in WWII to detect enemy submarines. After the war in 1955, a surgeon in Glasgow named Ian Donald began to experiment with it for medical uses. Using beefsteaks as “control” subjects, he scanned the abdominal tumors he had removed from his patients and found that different tissues gave different patterns of sound wave echo. He quickly realized the potential of ultrasound for examining a growing baby in utero.
Initially, ultrasound was used only to investigate possible problems. For example, if there was bleeding in early pregnancy, it would be used to determine whether miscarriage was inevitable. Later in pregnancy, if breech or twins were suspected, ultrasound would be used to confirm that suspicion. In these cases, ultrasound can be very useful for a woman and her caregivers.
However, over the years ultrasound has come to be used as routine scan at 18-20 weeks for all women. This is referred to as “routine prenatal ultrasound”, or RPU for short. It involves scanning all pregnant women – whether a problem is suspected or not – in the hope of improving birth outcomes.
As often happens in medicine, techniques which may be of value to a small percentage of people slowly become adopted for routine use without prior study of benefits. A perfect example of this is the alarmingly common prescription of statin drugs for women, children and men without pre-existing heart disease, in spite of the fact that they’ve only been shown to be effective for a small segment of the population: middle-aged men with pre-existing heart disease.
The problem with this approach, of course, is that when we perform a procedure or administer a treatment to a segment of the population without properly testing it beforehand, we are essentially conducting an uncontrolled scientific experiment on that population – often without their understanding and consent. And in this case, we are performing that uncontrolled experiment on two of the most vulnerable populations: pregnant women and babies in the womb.
Ultrasound scans
For many women, ultrasound scans are the highlight of pregnancy. It's very exciting and moving to 'see' your baby in the womb, often moving his or her hands and legs.
Hospitals routinely offer women at least two ultrasound scans during their pregnancy. The first is usually when you're around 12 weeks pregnant and is sometimes called the dating scan, because it estimates when your baby is due (the estimated date of delivery, or EDD).
The second scan usually takes place between 18 weeks and 21 weeks. It's called the anomaly scan because it checks for structural abnormalities (anomalies) in the baby.
Ultrasound scans use sound waves to build a picture of the baby in the womb. The scans are completely painless, have no known side effects on mothers or babies and can be carried out at any stage of pregnancy. Talk to your midwife, GP or obstetrician about any concerns you have.
Although having a scan in pregnancy is usually a happy event, be aware that ultrasound scans may occasionally detect some serious abnormalities, so you should be prepared for that information.
The dating scan and anomaly scan are offered to all women, but you don't have to accept them. Your choice will be respected if you decide not to have the scans, and you'll be given the chance to discuss it with your maternity team before making your decision.
What can an ultrasound scan be used for?
An ultrasound scan can be used in several ways:
- To check your baby's size. At the dating scan, this gives a better idea of how many weeks pregnant you are. Your due date will be adjusted according to the ultrasound measurements.
- To check whether you're having more than one baby.
- To detect most abnormalities.
- To show the position of your baby and the placenta. For example, when the placenta is low down in late pregnancy, a caesarean section may be advised.
- To check that the baby is growing normally (this is particularly important if you're carrying twins or you have had problems in this pregnancy or a previous pregnancy).
What happens during an ultrasound scan in pregnancy?
You may be asked not to go for a wee (urinate) before you have the scan. A full bladder pushes your womb up and this gives a better picture.
You then lie on your back and some lubricating gel is put on your abdomen. A small device is then passed backwards and forwards over your skin, and high-frequency sound is beamed through your abdomen into the womb. The sound is reflected back and creates a picture, which is shown on a TV screen.
Ask for the picture to be explained to you if the image seems confusing. It should be possible for your partner to come with you and see the scan. Many couples feel that this helps to make the baby seem real for them both. You may be able to have a picture of your baby – there might be a small charge for this.
The 20 week (anomaly) scan
This is a detailed ultrasound scan, usually carried out when you are between 18 weeks and 21 weeks pregnant. The scan checks for major physical abnormalities in your baby, although it can't pick up every problem.
The anomaly scan is carried out in the same way as the dating scan, with gel on your tummy and the sonographer passing the ultrasound device backwards and forwards. Sometimes, the sonographer doing the scan will need to be quiet while they concentrate on checking your baby. However, they will be able to talk to you about the pictures once they've
completed
the check. Most hospitals welcome partners into the scan room. You need to check this with your hospital.
Is it a girl or boy?
If you want to find out the sex of your baby, you can usually do so during the 20 week scan.
Tell the sonographer that you'd like to know your baby's sex at the start of the scan. Be aware, though, that it's not always possible for the sonographer to be 100% certain about your baby's sex. For example, if your baby is lying in an awkward position, it may be difficult or impossible to tell whether your baby is male or female.
Some hospitals have a policy of not telling patients the sex of their baby. If your hospital does not routinely inform parents about their baby's sex, you may be able to pay privately for a scan to find out. Speak to your sonographer or midwife to find out more.
Some hospitals will sell you a copy of your scan image so you can show everyone the very first pictures of your baby.
.jpg)
