Today, many people in the United States and around the world are suffering chronic pain, and many types of pain can come from different sources. Nerve pain may result if a patient’s muscles, bones, or joints are pinching nerves, and pain may also come from spinal and lower back problems or from arthritis or the wear-and-tear effects of years or hard labor. Pain relief may be needed for any of those conditions, or if a patient is recovering from surgery or an injury and they need physical therapy as part of the recovery process. What is more, ultrasound machines can be used for ultrasound therapy, an emerging form of tool-based therapy for patients today. Therapeutic ultrasound therapy may an appealing option for some. Just how can therapy help someone recover, and what are rates of chronic pain around the world today?

Chronic Pain and Stress

Chronic pain and back issues are unfortunately familiar to many around the world; in fact, nearly 1.5 billion people around the world suffer from chronic pain due to any number of causes, from age and spinal issues all the way to injury or a life of hard labor. The human body’s nervous system will transmit all of this pain to alert the mind to this physical distress. More nerve cells can be found in the human brain than there are stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and a human body contains some 43 different pairs of nerves that will connect the central nervous system to the body. Twelve such pairs connect to the brain, and all the rest connect to the spinal card. Damage to the peripheral nervous system, meanwhile, can result in various types of peripheral neuropathy such as weakness, numbness, or even pain associated with nerve damage, often in the hands or feet.

Meanwhile, advanced age can also result in back pain or joint pain due to many decades of these body parts being used, and in any patient, recent injuries or major surgery can result in pain, and therapy will be needed for that, too. Chronic back pain is particularly common; it is defined as chronic when the pain persists for 12 weeks or longer, and this will almost certainly call for therapy of one kind or another. What can be done?

Therapy Methods Today

For therapy for sore or strained spines, joints, or muscles, many physical therapy experts are available, and they are often assigned to hospital patients or sports athletes who are recovering from injuries. Other times, a citizen may look for local physical therapy clinics or medical centers and contact them, looking for a personal trainer who will give them private lessons and sessions to help relieve pain in the back, arms and legs, and anywhere else where pain is found. This can help stretch out the spine, loosen up muscles, and relieve pressure on nerves that are transmitting the chronic pain. Yoga experts are often used for this, and yoga has long since established itself as a means for stretching out the body and relieving cramps, spine issues, and more. A person, with their doctor’s approval and guidance, might also launch a home yoga regimen. This is probably best for more minor cases of back issues or muscle pain, and more serious medical issues should be handled with expert guidance and supervision.

What is ultrasound therapy? This method of therapy has been in use since the 1940s, and an ultrasound device will emit a sound above human hearing to transmit waves that are believed to have a therapeutic effect on muscles and joints. The head of such a device will be pressed against the patient’s skin and moved around, but there must be no air in between the head and the skin or the ultrasound waves may be disrupted, reducing the therapy’s effectiveness. This therapy method may be useful for patients who are unable to move correctly for yoga or other stretching work and other methods of physical therapy. A patient may only need lay down on a table or sit upright in a chair to have this method of therapy administered to them, and a patient may go through multiple sessions of ultrasound therapy until they get the desired results.