Lower-back pain and ankle swelling are common pregnancy ailments that may be helped by ultrasound.
Chiropractors have been using ultrasound therapy since the 1940s to treat injuries and reduce acute pain and inflammation. As more research becomes available about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy, many questions remain about the safety of using ultrasound therapy on pregnant women.
Benefits
Ultrasound therapy uses high-frequency sound waves to produce heat that acts as a form of micro-massage. This heat helps reduce swelling caused by back and neck injuries, arthritis and fibromyalgia. Lower-back pain and ankle swelling are common pregnancy ailments that may be helped by ultrasound.
Difference
Chiropractic ultrasound differs from the traditional ultrasound used during pregnancy, which is thought to cause low birth weight and preterm labor after repeated use. According to Chiropractic Dr. Greg Stern, ultrasound therapy operates on a much-lower frequency, which makes it safer to use.
Worries
A cause of worry among critics is the area being treated absorbs the high temperature, between 104 and 114 degrees Fahrenheit. This increases the area's local temperature, which could have harmful effects to both the mother and her developing fetus.
Options
There are different approaches when using ultrasound therapy. "Pulsed Wave" uses intermittent waves instead of continuous waves and produces little to no heat. The amount of time the ultrasound is administered can also be reduced, from 10 minutes to five.
Considerations
There have been no recorded problems caused by ultrasound therapy in pregnant women. However, the ultrasound probe should never be used over the fetus or near the uterus. Only use ultrasound therapy occasionally while pregnant and only when necessary.
Tags: ultrasound therapy, using ultrasound, using ultrasound therapy, ailments that, ailments that helped
