Perception of Physiotherapists about the Effectiveness of Therapeutic Ultrasound

Abstract

Objective: To determine the perception of physiotherapists about the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasoundas a treatment modality. Study design: descriptive cross-sectional study. Period 6 months after the approvalof synopsis from June 2017 to November 2017. Material & Method: A self-administered questionnaire wasdistributed among the physiotherapists working in the clinical practice, 25-60 years of age of both genders.Questionnaire employing of both open and closed ended questions. Questions were asked regarding theusage, their knowledge of appropriate dosages and their perception of its effectiveness for various conditions.Perception was evaluated using Visual analogue Scale. Results: One hundred and twenty questionnaireswere completed and returned a response rate of 87.5%. Physiotherapists perceived ultrasound to be effectivein acute tendinitis, acute bursitis and chronic muscle strain. Respondents believe that therapeutic ultrasoundbecome more effective when used in conjunction with other techniques at appropriate dosages, However,the placebo qualities of ultrasound were not perceived to be effective by most of the physiotherapists.Conclusion: Therapeutic ultrasound is perceived to be most commonly used electro physical agent amongthe physiotherapists. The findings suggest that ultrasound was thought to be as an effective treatment toolwhen applied appropriately. The results of this study will be useful for the clinicians however, furtherexperimental studies investigating ultrasound efficacy are indicated.