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I am looking to purchase a portable ultrasound machine for use at home?
what should I look out for in it as far as watage is concerned etc?
What watage should I be using?
Do I NEED to use GEL?
or not?
If yes, WHY?
I have Achillees Heel Tendonitis
thanks
As always with all ultrasound questions, I have to say that Ultrasound have very limited if any evidence to back up it's use. So I suggest you think hard about wether you really want to spend the money on buying your own machine.
As for your other questions regarding Gel and wattage - Yes you need gel, it is a conductive agent and is required to transmit the ultrasound into the skin. Air will basically reflect the energy causing the transducer head to heat and can cause burns to the patient if it heats and can damage the machine. Ensure you never just put the device on your body and not move it - this will cause standing waves and damage the tissue it's over.
Heres a good link for safety when using the machine: Guidelines for the Safe Use of Ultrasound: Part I - Medical and Paramedical Applications (Excerpt from Safety Code 23, 1989)
As for wattage - most physios will chuck it on for 5 minutes at 0.4 W/cm2 pulsed 1:2 or 1:4. As there is no compelling evidence for it's use in your condition you could choose whatever you like.
Apart from ultrasound - Make sure you are doing your stretches and strengthening work. One of the best articles for healing achilles tendinitis was done by Hakan Alfredson and he advocated an active strengthening program for the calf. other things to try to relieve the tendon is to get a heel raise in your shoe to take away some of the repetitive stretch it's under from wearing flat shoes that aggrivate it. ensure you have appropriate footwear etc.
Good luck