Question
Hello and I thank you for listening. I have an injury to my right shpulder-diagnosed as bursitis and a slight rotator cuff problem. I was given may exercises to do- codman etc etc, I also do stretching over head and across the body stretcges and cable exercises and I feel a whole lot better. I am also looking into buying a portable ultrasound machine that my orthopedist used to use. But he states that his machine was a lot stronger but if I used it at home I could do damage to myself. So I found 2 different types of machine online that sell for either $99 or $149- they are portable home use machines that use 1MHz of output. Again I would like to repeat that I would only use it as a SUPPLEMENT to my streching and light weight exercises. Can you advise me further?? The 2 companies I have been looking at are from one site called mendmeshop.com and the other from ezultrasound.com..... If you would please let me know what u think of me purchasing either of these 2 machines and if they
will be of ANY help- and if they are the same should I buy the less expensive one. Thanks so much for your time and effort."  

Answer
Dear Monte,

Ultrasound machines don't do anything to the underlying cause of the problem:  contracted muscles.

Bursitis occurs when a muscle is always tight and its tendon, which passes over a bursa (fluid sac) squeezes the bursa.

Muscles contract under the control of the brain.  The more correct approach is to retrain the muscle/movement action that keeps the muscle contracted.  

So, I wouldn't recommend any kind of ultrasound unit.

Stretching, as you have found, provides only temporary relief.  For lasting relief, I'd recommend brain-muscle training.

The field that provides such training is called "clinical somatic education."  May I recommend you read some articles at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

By means of clinical somatic education, you should be able to get a quick, lasting resolution of this problem without ultrasound.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold