Few things remind me of how far we have come as a profession than ultrasound. Early in my career we utilized ultrasound and other modalities to help reduce a patients pain. Initially touted as a medium to deep tissue heating and healing, ultrasound has now fallen out of favor due to the lack of research benefits supporting its’ use. Little to no research supports its’ use for musculoskeletal conditions and any benefits have not been found superior to comparable placebo treatments. For these reasons we do not utilize or own an ultrasound machine in our Physical Therapy practice and instead utilize more evidence based interventions such as manual therapy and exercise for musculoskeletal conditions. A recent article examined if there was any additional benefit of ultrasound when combined with other Physical Therapy interventions.
A randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy examined the addition of either ultrasound or placebo ultrasound to a stretching program for patients with heel pain (Katzap et al. 2018). 54 patients were randomized to one of the ultrasound conditions combined with ankle and foot stretching exercises (note: stretching alone does not constitute an evidence based exercise program). Authors reported both groups improved but no significant differences were found between “therapeutic” ultrasound and placebo ultrasound. Authors recommended excluding ultrasound from treatment plans for patients with heel pain.
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