Wearable ultrasound to end pain
Physical therapist are using a new wearable device called SAM to help patients knock out pain
Dave “Scooter” Honig is almost 60 years old— and has no plans of slowing down. Thanks to a new wearable ultrasound device, he can be as active as he wants without worrying about his shoulder tendinitis.
After 22 years as a physical education teacher, Honig now trains athletes and celebrities at his Port Washington, New York studio. But his years of pushing it to the limit came to a halt when shoulder tendonitis kicked in.
“I couldn’t go above my head at all,” Honig said. “I couldn’t do any pushups, couldn’t do anything anterior, posterior. The shoulder was in severe pain.”
Scooter went to physical therapy, which made him feel a bit better, but it wasn’t until he tried a new wearable ultrasound device, sam, that his healing started. The device’s soundwaves penetrate through the tissues to heal.
“It uses a longer duration treatment than a typical ultrasound treatment would be,” physical therapist Kathy Maddalone said. “So we would administer ultrasound anywhere between 5 to 15 minutes. You can use the sam for up to 4 hours per day.”
Sam, which stands for “sustained acoustic medicine” is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and only available through prescription. It’s ideal for patients with sprains, strains, tendonitis, or any overuse injury.
Because sam is wearable, patients can go about their everyday lives while reaping the benefits when the device is activated.
After two weeks using sam, Honig felt the difference. He wore the device for 3 to 4 hours per day for about a month, and now he’s back to business.
“I was able to do pushups, rows, hold mitts for the fighers,” he said.
Traditional physical therapy can be used in conjunction with the same, in order to cut down on chronic pain.
It costs about $50 per week to rent the device, or it can be purchased for $500.
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