Clinical applications of acoustic waves in modern medicine

In 1967, a group of around 90 monks in the south of France became violently ill. The monks were exhausted and their immune systems weakened, making them susceptible to many pathogens. A while later, a famous French physician and ear specialist by the name Dr. Alfred Tomatis was called upon to check up on these monks. He learned that the 2nd Vatican council, at the time, had disallowed the monks from doing their daily chants in the monasteries. Upon learning of this, the physician told the monks to immediately continue their chants. Soon after all the monks were back on their feet, as healthy and strong as ever. (Lobody, A.)

Contents

Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Experiment 3
Conclusion
Bibliography

We hear of many stories such as these. Many people, religions, and cultures have some kind of testament to the healing properties of sound. Now we would like to know if these sound healing properties can be used practically on physical injuries and pain.

Sustained Acoustic Medicine (SAM) is an ultrasound device that is specifically designed for tissue healing and pain relief. With low intensity and long duration ultrasound waves being transmitted, SAM enhances soft tissue regeneration and healing by increasing tissue temperature and circulation, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain in acute and chronic injuries. This method of low intensity and long duration sessions allow lasting therapeutic effects, simply because the treatment can be administered for longer periods of time. Another benefit of SAM treatments is that it is portable and can be used by the patients while still going along with their daily tasks. This makes it extremely convenient for patients with chronic pains or injuries to comfortably go about their day while still healing their bodies.

The SAM treatment is one that really penetrates deep into the tissues and directly to the site of the injury. It stimulates activity at the cellular level which just makes the treatment more efficient and effective in treating all sorts of injuries. SAM uses low intensity ultrasound waves that infiltrate deep into the body system, triggering an increased blood flow. It reduces inflammation and fosters the synthesis of proteins that help with the tissue repair, while also stimulating the cells to be more active. In this article I will delve deeper into how Sustained Acoustic Medicine can be and has been used to treat all sorts of musculoskeletal injuries amongst different kinds of patients.

Experiment 1

The musculoskeletal system, a combination of the muscular and skeletal system, is one of the most important systems in the body. It allows us to easily move our body, to go from place to place and perform many daily tasks. Ten million days of restricted working days per year are due to injuries to the musculoskeletal system. This affects around 20 to 33% of the world’s population. These injuries can often cause chronic pain, relating to the kind of injury that was acquired. There are already many treatments for such injuries, some of them are quite impactful while others not as much. Finding new ways to treat these injuries and their side effects is a continuous work in progress for many scientists and healthcare workers, as the movement of our body is quite vital to everyday living for every individual.

Acoustic medicine was used for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries on 372 different participants across 13 different clinical research studies. 67 of the participants had neck and back myofascial pains and injuries. 156 participants with knee pain and radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis. One hundred forty-nine participants with a generalized soft-tissue injury of the elbow, shoulder, back, and ankle, leaving them with limited mobility in those areas. (Winkler, S. L., Urbisci, A. E., & Best, T. M.)

The 67 participants with neck and back myofascial pains and injuries had quite similar results. Some studies showed that there were no side effects of the treatment and a reduction in overall pain. Other studies showed that there was an increase in shoulder mobility and a reduction in pain. While another study showed a significant reduction in pain and an overall improved quality of life.

The 156 participants with knee pain had varying results. Two studies showed a reduction in pain without any significant improvement in mobility. While two other studies showed better results with a high pain reduction and a high to low mobility improvement from individual to individual, even allowing for improved function.

The 149 participants with soft tissue injuries had an overall positive feedback to the treatments. The studies showed that the treatment expedited the healing process for the injured musculoskeletal system. There was an improvement in the functionality of the muscles. It seemed to have reduced the amount of pain and general discomfort in the injured areas.

Experiment 2

65 patients with chronic back pain, 33 assigned to the sustained acoustic medicine (SAM) treatment group and 32 to the placebo group. The group with the 33 patients were treated and tested for 8 weeks. After the treatments, the individuals in the groups reported a large reduction in pain, an overall improvement in physical mobility and it greatly reduced the amount of medication taken by the patients.

A few things were taken into account when conducting these experiments. Consequently, a variety of people with different conditions were not able to be included in these trials. Some of these include patients with arthritis, bone spur, stenosis, fusion, or implants near the herniated disc, ones with active infections, open sores or wounds, patients undergoing chemotherapy or having known neuropathy, hereditary disposition to excessive bleeding, and peripheral artery disease; patients with malignancy or metastasis on the vertebra, acute compression fracture, and collagen disease, such as ankylosing spondylitis; as well as patients with evidence of nerve root, spinal cord, or cauda equina compression (severe spinal stenosis indicated by signs of neurogenic claudication), grade 3 to 4 spondylolisthesis (fibromyalgia or systemic/inflammatory disorder), or any other current lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries.

The cost of back pain management, annually, in the USA alone costs around 100 billion us dollars and affects around 85% of the world’s population. This is why it is essential we find easier and more effective treatments.

Experiment 3

Approximately 7,383 professional military and sports athletes were given a survey to determine just how effective the acoustic treatment can be for highly physically demanding lifestyles and training. The participants were those who had experience using SAM treatments for any sports or training related injury that they may have attained previously or currently. The non-narcotic and non-surgical nature of the SAM treatments have made them become particularly popular amongst sports and military athletes for treating musculoskeletal injuries.

A couple of questions were asked of these athletes to gain insight into the effectiveness of SAM on these injuries. Some of these questions include:

Q1. Number of years being an athlete (AT)?

Q2. What healthcare sector do you work in as an AT?

Q3. What geographical region do you work in as an AT?

Q4. Years of SAM use in clinical practice?

Q5. The average age of patients you treat with SAM?

Q6. How many patients have you treated with SAM?

Q7. Where do you most commonly use SAM treatment on the body?

Q8. When using SAM treatment, typically, how long does it take for your patient to respond to therapy?

Q9. In the last 3-months, how often do you apply SAM with topical drugs mixed into the patch when treating patients?

Q10. The primary reason I use SAM treatment is for?

Q11. How many hours each day is your typical SAM treatment?

Q12. How receptive are your patients to SAM treatment and follow your instructions?

Q13. How has SAM treatment helped your patients reduce the need for oral pain medication?

Q14. As a healthcare provider, what is your expectation/confidence level for your patient’s positive response to SAM treatment after 30 days of regular use?

Q15. Recently published research on SAM treatment with topical diclofenac has demonstrated significant pain, global health, and quality measure improvements for patients. If you have experience with this type of treatment on patients, how would you rate your overall satisfaction?

Q16. From your perspective as a healthcare provider, what is your athlete’s general mental health state when a musculoskeletal or bone injury occurs that prevents participation in sport?

Q17. When using SAM to treat an injury or re-injury, what confidence level when they return to the field/court of play?

Q18. How important is it for your patients that SAM treatment is covered under insurance and health benefits? (Walters, R., Kasik, J., Ettel, C., & Ortiz, R.)

The results of this investigation showed that pain relief was a major advantage of using SAM and around 82.6% of these participants reduced the amount of medication they took when on SAM. A majority of the athletes reported healing quicker and having much more confidence in resuming their sport or training, for they felt they regained even more strength and confidence after the treatment. After around 1 to 2 weeks, patients already found there was more mobility in their joints, and the benefits of the treatment were already taking effect on their bodies.

Conclusion

Sustained acoustic medicine has been a great help in allowing patients with chronic pains and injuries to do activities that they once could not participate in. It improves the overall quality of life for all its users. It greatly reduces the pain caused by injuries and allows for a faster and smoother healing process. SAM is also a non-invasive treatment, so there are no injections, incisions or medications required when undergoing the treatment. This non-invasive nature means there will be no risk of complications or negative side effects in the process of the treatment. SAM can be used to treat all sorts of musculoskeletal injuries. It has shown to be quite efficient and effective. Now, patients around the world, when looking for solutions to alleviate pains or injuries that may be constricting their bodies and quality of life, can look towards sustained acoustic medicine treatments. The benefits are great with little to no side effects. It is being continuously improved upon, as any medical innovation, but the benefits it already bestows upon its users are undeniable.