Sound waves could have healing effects on skin wounds
Ultrasound equipment already has a number of documented uses from monitoring a fetus during pregnancy, to speeding broken bone regeneration. Its latest potential use, as documented by researchers at the Universities of Sheffield and Bristol in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could be reducing the healing times of skin ulcers and bedsores in the diabetic and elderly.
“Using ultrasound wakes up the cells and stimulates a normal healing process,” said Dr. Mark Bass, lead author of the study. “Because it is just speeding up the normal processes, the treatment doesn’t carry the risk of side effects that are often associated with drug treatments.”
The low-intensity treatment helped increase the healing time of diabetic and elderly mice by 30%. The researchers also found that this treatment reduces the chances of the wounds becoming infected. This breakthrough is huge – especially for the diabetic community, who is at a reduced risk for foot ulcers, infection and limb amputation due to reduced blood flow and nerve damage. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 9% of the world adult (18+) population is diabetic, and diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030.
Dr. Bass, however, seems quite confident that this treatment will be in clinical use within the next 3-4 years.
