Ultrasound therapy
Ultrasound Therapy in Physiotherapy
Written by Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapist, and Shamaine Soh, Principal Hand Occupational Therapist, at Phoenix Rehab. Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist & Director, AHPC A1300363H; hand and wrist sections by Nigel Chua, Principal Hand Occupational Therapist & Director, AHPC A1300362Z. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, delivered through a small head and a layer of gel, to warm or stimulate the soft tissue underneath. It is painless, it takes a few minutes, and the research behind it is mixed. We use it as an add-on to hands-on treatment and exercise, never as the plan on its own.
No extra charge inside a physiotherapy or hand therapy appointment. $50 per area booked on its own. At every Phoenix clinic.
What ultrasound therapy is
Therapeutic ultrasound is not the scan used to look inside the body. It is a treatment: a handheld head is moved slowly over the skin, on a layer of gel, for a few minutes per area. Set to continuous, it gently warms the tissue. Set to pulsed, it gives a mechanical stimulus with little heat. Most people feel nothing, or mild warmth.
Warmth feels like treatment, and that is part of why ultrasound has lasted in clinics for decades. Feeling looser for an hour is not the same as the tissue being able to take more load next week. The second part is what hands-on treatment and exercise work on, and it is what we measure.
What the research says
For most musculoskeletal pain, the evidence that ultrasound adds much on its own is weak. There are a few exceptions, and we would rather you knew which before you ask for it.
| Problem | What the research shows |
|---|---|
| Most muscle, joint and tendon pain | Weak. Reviews of the better controlled trials found little difference from placebo.1 |
| Calcium deposits in the shoulder tendon | Some evidence. One controlled trial found more improvement in symptoms, and more shrinking of the deposit, than with sham ultrasound over six weeks.2 |
| Knee osteoarthritis | Uncertain. A Cochrane review found low-quality evidence, not enough to be sure it helps.3 |
| Bone healing after a fracture | A different device and dose (low-intensity pulsed ultrasound), and a decision for the surgeon managing the fracture, not a physiotherapy add-on. |
What we use it for
Soft tissue problems where warming or stimulating the tissue helps the hands-on work and exercise that follow:
- Tendon and muscle irritation, such as tennis elbow
- Tendon irritation at the wrist and thumb, alongside guided loading and, where it is needed, a splint, as covered on the page on wrist tendonitis
- Stiff, tight tissue around a joint before it is mobilized
- Thickened scar tissue in the hand and wrist, alongside scar massage and movement, as part of hand therapy after surgery
That is why it is an add-on here: a few minutes inside an appointment whose main work is hands-on treatment and exercise. When the aim is to warm deeper muscle and connective tissue before hands-on work, our Serangoon clinic also uses radiofrequency therapy.
When ultrasound is not used
Your therapist checks for these before using it. Tell them if any apply:
- You are pregnant and the area is the abdomen, lower back or pelvis
- Cancer in or near the area
- An infection, or an area with a suspected blood clot
- Reduced feeling in the skin over the area
- Over the eyes, over a pacemaker, or over growing bones in children
Is this normal afterwards?
Usually expected
- Nothing at all during treatment
- Mild warmth under the head
- Feeling a little looser for a while afterwards
Tell us, or see a doctor
- Heat, aching or a burning feeling during treatment: tell your therapist straight away, and it stops
- Skin that is red, blistered or sore the next day: tell your therapist, and see a doctor if it blisters
Who does it
Every therapist, at every clinic
Ultrasound is used by our physiotherapists and hand therapists at every Phoenix clinic, inside a 45-minute one-to-one appointment. We do not use therapy assistants.
Ultrasound therapy
Per area, booked on its own. No extra charge when it is part of a physiotherapy or hand therapy appointment ($230 per 45-minute appointment, nett, no GST). At every Phoenix clinic.
Questions
Before you book
Does ultrasound therapy hurt?
No. Most people feel nothing, or mild warmth. Tell your therapist straight away if it feels hot or painful.
Is ultrasound therapy worth it?
On its own, for most muscle and joint pain, the research says it adds little. Inside a physiotherapy or hand therapy appointment it costs nothing extra, and your therapist uses it where warming or stimulating the tissue may help the hands-on work and exercise that follow.
Is ultrasound therapy the same as an ultrasound scan?
No. A scan uses ultrasound to make an image and is ordered by a doctor. Therapeutic ultrasound uses a different setting to warm or stimulate tissue, as a treatment.
Is ultrasound therapy the same as shockwave?
No. Ultrasound is gentle and painless; shockwave delivers strong pressure pulses and is used for a narrower set of long-standing tendon problems. Shockwave vs ultrasound therapy, explained →
Can I book ultrasound on its own?
Yes, at $50 per area. If the problem is new, or has not been assessed, start with an Assessment & Treatment so we know what we are treating.
Will my insurance pay?
It depends on your policy. How insurance claims for physiotherapy actually work →
Not sure what your problem needs?
Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on. Get Assessed & Treated, and leave knowing what is limiting you and which stage you are in.
Phoebe, our WhatsApp assistant, replies with a clinic and two times. $230 per 45-minute appointment, nett, no GST. Bring any scan report or doctor’s letter you have.
Sources
Research referred to on this page
- Robertson VJ, Baker KG. A review of therapeutic ultrasound: effectiveness studies. Phys Ther. 2001;81(7):1339-1350.
- Ebenbichler GR, et al. Ultrasound therapy for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. N Engl J Med. 1999;340(20):1533-1538.
- Rutjes AWS, et al. Therapeutic ultrasound for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(1):CD003132.
Where we are
Clinics across Singapore
ORCHARD
400 Orchard Road #12-12
Orchard Towers, S238875
NS22 Orchard MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Orchard →
WhatsApp 8800 1830TAMPINES
9 Tampines Grande #01-20
Asia Green, S528735
EW2DT32 Tampines MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Tampines →
WhatsApp 8780 9608SERANGOON
265 Serangoon Central Drive #04-269
S550265 · Lift C only
NE12CC13 Serangoon MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Serangoon →
WhatsApp 8892 4121TANJONG PAGAR
10 Anson Road #02-77A
International Plaza, S079903
EW15 Tanjong Pagar MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Tanjong Pagar →
WhatsApp 8227 7074JURONG EAST
2 Venture Drive #02-02
Vision Exchange, S608526
NS1EW24 Jurong East MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Jurong East →
WhatsApp 8242 7340What our patients say
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