Therapeutic Ultrasound | The Canine Co-Lab

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Targeted deep heating for joints and muscles.

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An illustration of a blue and orange dog running alongside a smaller dog on wheels, with a stylized mountain and sun in the background, captures the whimsical spirit that veterinarians cherish in their playful patients.

Therapeutic ultrasound is a non-invasive treatment that uses sound waves to deliver deep heating to tissues, such as joints and muscles, in pets. This modality creates vibrations by a tiny crystal in the transducer head that touches the skin, which generates undetectable sound waves or pressure waves in the tissue, creating heat. Unlike superficial heating methods such as heating pads, therapeutic ultrasound can penetrate up to 3 cm deep, making it an ideal treatment option for injuries like hip joint disease. We may need to clip a small area of hair in order to perform the treatment, as it works best in direct contact with the skin.

How it Works

A large Labrador Retriever lies on a brown mat indoors, its eyes looking up at the camera. Beside it, a metal dog bowl rests on the dark floor, ready for use after a recent visit to the veterinarian.

A large, tri-colored dog with a fluffy coat stands in a grassy field adorned with wildflowers under a cloudy sky. With its upright ears perked and eyes gazing slightly to the side, this healthy pup looks as if it’s just returned from a visit to the vet for its regular check-up.

Benefits

Therapeutic ultrasound can help decrease pain and muscle spasms, increase blood flow and tissue metabolic rate, enhance healing, increase range of motion, reduce stiffness in tissue, and decrease swelling/edema. It is also effective for conditions such as fibrotic myopathy/joint contracture, wound and fracture healing, and calcific tendonitis. Therapeutic ultrasound can also be combined with other physical therapy treatments such as massage, E-stim, acupuncture, or laser therapy for optimal results.