QuestionHello Orlando,
I am a Licensed Acupuncturist and have been told there are "diagnostic" and also, "therapeutic" types of ultrasound. I would like to become certified to use "therapy" ultrasound on my acupuncture patients within my own practice. Someone said you learn "therapeutic" ultrasound in Massage or Physical Therapy training. Is this correct?
My other question is: Would I need a script or supervision from an M.D. to perform this type of therapy, or can I do it alone in my own practice?
Thank you very much!
Mike Eidson, LAc.
AnswerGreetings. My apologises for taking so long to answer this question. This is a very pertient and very important issue. Thank you for bringing it up. There are always traps for young players in any field. You have done some research into ultrasound. It is always good to look around to see what everybody else is doing. You never know how that information and sensitivity could help you in your practise and help your clients. However, have you considered where this research would lead you? Have you considered where this research would lead your clients? This is roughly what I mean. As a Licensed Acupuncturist, everybody knows what you are and where your field of expertise lies. But, if you digress into other fields-you might find that scenario will leave your clients with an identity crisis. Are your clients seeing you as an expert in Acupuncture? Or as an expert Acupuncturist doing a bit on the side of Ultrasound work? Would you pay the princely fees a brain surgeon charges if he did a bit of dentistry on the side? Probably not. Even if he was an expert in both fields? Probably not. Why not? Probably because you are looking for a dedicated professional in their field doing what they are professionally trained for-everyday. Now, what could be some of the traps I am speaking about? Have you heard of Murphy's Law? Sure as God made little apples-if you took up Ultrasound work-you would only get all the tricky work nobody else would touch. Where could that lead you? You already know. When you are right-nobody remembers. When you are wrong-nobody forgets. I realise that this answer may not be what you were actually looking for. But, I would say this, if you took up Ultrasound work-make it your profession. That way, you have the Acupuncture as a very good background. Personally, from what I know about Ultrasound, it is very good at all the tricky work. But, if you get it wrong-you could cremate something like a nerve or buy into a lot of trouble. As for your other question-I doubt that a doctor would send you clients for Ultrasound treatment if you were doing several therapies.
As for Ultrasound being used for diagnostic work-that is a highly specialised field. That sort of work is a technician's field where the results are assessed by a doctor.
As for Ultrasound being used therapeutically, I doubt that you can use such a device for therapeutics. It is not that sort of device. A spa bath is used therapeutically. But you cannot use a spa bath for anything else.
However, I would get a second opinion on that. I would not see a massage practitioner using an Ultrasound machine.
In many ways I doubt that I have actually answered your questions. I think I have done nothing more than give you several and somewhat disjointed perspectives on this issue.
For you-Ultrasound may be a field where you find you have an affinity, for which you did not know you had-Go For It.
Please feel free to continue this discussion-I would like to know what you decided to do.
Please keep in touch.
Cheers
