Ultrasonic Therapy And Arthritis

Effectively a form of massage, ultrasonic therapy for pain depends upon sound waves that are impelled unto human tissue where they cause rapid, gentle vibration and slight local heating. As such waves travel through human tissue, different frequencies are absorbed by different tissues in the human body, for example, skin, fat, muscle and bone. One reason for a frequency being well absorbed by a particular tissue is that it is the frequency at which the molecules of that tissue naturally vibrate. Ultrasonic massage devices operate at frequencies designed to resonate with (that is, to set off sympathetic vibrations in) a wide range of human tissues.

As sound waves travel through human tissues, their vibrations cause alternate loosening and tightening of cell walls. This stimulates the metabolism, and it can also improve blood circulation. Sound waves can have therapeutic effects on tissues beneath the surface of the body, including some that may be affected by arthritis, which may be difficult to treat with other therapies. Stiffened joints can be relaxed through ultrasonic therapy. People with knee pain and lower back pain testify to benefits from this form of treatment. Pain signals normally travel from the site of the stimulus via a peripheral nerve to the spinal cord then to the brain.

One theory of how TENS works proposes that it makes specific cells in the spinal cord less responsive to pain signals, reducing the perception of pain in the brain. A second theory ascribes the pain relieving effect to electrical impulses stimulating the release of endorphins, the brain's natural painkillers, which block the pain. Some complementary therapists recommended fasting as a treatment for arthritis in order to detoxify the system and eliminate long accumulated waste products. Fasting should last no longer than three days unless you are under medical supervision.

It is essential to drink a glass of water every hour when you are fasting. Fasting has no proven benefits for the treatment of arthritis. Aspirin is a simple analgesic, which relieves pain in body tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and joints, particularly when associated with inflammation. It can be taken in pill form or, most effectively, dissolved in water. May irritate the stomach and, if taken on a long term basis, may cause stomach ulcers. Penicillamine is taken orally, at least an hour before food. It can alter your sense of taste, but this should diminish after a few weeks. Otherwise the side effects are just like any other drugs used to treat pain.