How does therapeutic ultrasound differ from diagnostic ultrasound?
Therapeutic ultrasound differs from diagnostic ultrasound, which uses less-intense sound waves to create images of internal structures. In physics, all acoustic energy with a frequency above human hearing (20,000 hertz or 20 kilohertz) is termed “ultrasound.” Typical diagnostic sonographic scanners operate in the frequency range of 2 to 18 megahertz, hundreds of times greater than the limit of human hearing. Diagnostic ultrasonography is used to discern issues deep within the body. By bouncing and measuring high frequency sound waves, audio “images” can be created. Ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging helps doctors visualize tendons, muscles, joints, organs, and more. And of course, diagnostic ultrasound is used during pregnancy to visualize the developing baby. Therapeutic ultrasound, on the other hand, operates in the frequency range of 0.7 to 3.3 MHz and is used to bring heat into the body at point of injury or inflammation. A commonly used modality in physical therapy and sports med
