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. 1998 Apr-Jun;33(2):136–140.

Temperature Rise in Human Muscle During Ultrasound Treatments Using Flex-All as a Coupling Agent

Douglas F Ashton *, David O Draper †, J William Myrer †
PMCID: PMC1320400  PMID: 16558500

Abstract

Objective:

To determine if Flex-all 454, as advertised, is effective as a thermal ultrasound couplant.

Design and Setting:

Research design was a one-factor analysis of variance. Subjects received three (alternating order) ultrasound treatments (1 MHz at 1.5 W/cm2 for 10 minutes) using the following couplants: 50% Flex-all mixed with 50% ultrasound gel; 100% ultrasound gel; and sham ultrasound with 100% Flex-all. Data were collected in a ventilated laboratory.

Subjects:

Fifteen male and female students (mean age = 24.2 ± 3.7 years).

Measurements:

Muscle temperature was measured via hypodermic microprobes inserted 3 and 5 cm deep in the medial triceps surae. A visual analogue scale was used to measure perceived heat.

Results:

At 3 cm, the increases for the gel, 50/50 mixture, and sham were 3.2°C, 2.6°C, and -0.82°C, respectively. At 5 cm, the increases were 2.17°C, 1.80°C, and -0.50°C, respectively. Subjects rated the sham treatment as mild heating (although the temperature dropped) and perceived treatments using the 50/50 mixture to be warmer than treatments using 100% gel couplant.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound treatments delivered with a 50/50 Flex-all/gel couplant felt warmer to subjects; however, identical treatments with 100% ultrasound gel produced higher muscle temperatures. Clinicians desiring optimal thermal effects should use 100% ultrasound gel as the couplant.

Keywords: modalities, topical analgesics

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137Fig 1.
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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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