The effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound for musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb: A literature review
PainSci summary of Shanks 2010?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided at the bottom of the page, as often as possible. ★★★☆☆?3-star ratings are for typical studies with no more (or less) than the usual common problems. Ratings are a highly subjective opinion, and subject to revision at any time. If you think this paper has been incorrectly rated, please let me know.
An inconclusive review of 10 of 15 candidate trials of ultrasound for lower limb troubles: alas, “no high quality evidence available.” Another pointless review!
original abstract†Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound is suggested as one of the treatment options available for soft tissue musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb and to this end, the objective was to review the literature and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound for musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb.
METHODS: A search of the literature published between 1975 and February 2009 was carried out. All studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were quality assessed and scored using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) appraisal tool [1] for randomised controlled trials.
RESULTS: Ten studies out of a possible fifteen were included in the review. Only one trial was considered to be high quality (score 16+), three medium quality trials (score 11-15) were identified and six trials were considered to be low or poor quality (score≤10). None of the six placebo-controlled trials found any statistically significant differences between true and sham ultrasound therapy.
CONCLUSION: This literature review found that there is currently no high quality evidence available to suggest that therapeutic ultrasound is effective for musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb.
related content
- “Therapeutic ultrasound for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip,” an article in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2010.
- “Effect of therapeutic ultrasound on tendons,” an article in Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2011.
- “Therapeutic ultrasound for carpal tunnel syndrome,” an article in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013.
- “Therapeutic ultrasound for acute ankle sprains,” an article in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011.
- “Therapeutic ultrasound for chronic low-back pain,” an article in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014.
- “The efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound for rotator cuff tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” an article in Physical Therapy in Sport, 2015.
One article on PainScience.com cites Shanks 2010 as a source:
- PS Does Ultrasound Therapy Work? — Many concerns about the widespread usage of therapeutic ultrasound, especially extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
