Sound Therapy Pain Relief for Humans and Animals

Not long ago I went to the hospital to have an ultrasound done on my leg. Ultrasound is sound above the level of human hearing (more than 20000 hertz) and is used to give a picture of soft tissue. The technician applied a gel to my leg for conductivity and methodically ran an electronic wand over my leg.  I wasn’t positioned to see the computer display, but I did hear the curious sounds from time to time. However, what most impressed me, was hours of no pain (from lymphedema) following the procedure.

Knowing that there are various home versions of medical devices, I began to research personal ultrasonic pain relief. Such devices are available from some drug stores as well as online. They must be used with a gel for conductivity so that is an additional expense.

However, what put me off the ultrasound was the fact that it can cause deep tissue burns. While chatting with the tech at the hospital, I learned she had done a two year course in order to administer ultrasound. And she had previous experience as an X-ray tech. Presumably the home devices are less powerful than the professional ones to minimize such burns, but still…it gave me pause.

Just a brief note here. If you are researching pain relief devices you will likely come across TENS devices. These are not sound devices. They administer an electrical current to relieve pain (TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and require electrodes and gel. They can also cause deep tissue burns.

Scared off by the possibility of burns I continued researching. Intrasonic sound is the range of sound audible to humans, approximately 16-20000 hertz. The Novasonic massager, originally called the Novafon, uses these frequencies to compress and relax cells which is described as a type of cellular massage. This process is said to  eliminate waste products, feed the cells, and stimulate hormones and blood flow. 

Moving from intrasonic frequencies to the sound range below human hearing brings us to the infratonic frequencies. Many animals can hear these frequencies and some, like elephants, use them to communicate. Infrasound is also generated by volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Animals that can hear these sounds have been known to flee before disaster strikes. Humans who perceive infrasound as  vibration tend to interpret it as ghostly and otherworldly. The deep chords of a pipe organ have been known to have this effect.

Though I haven’t seen mention of ghostly effects, there are pain relief devices that operate in the infratonic frequency range, using the vibration as a sort of massage. Sound Vitality  makes the Infratonic 9 and the lower priced Mobile Medic. They are said to penetrate to deep tissue, reducing swelling and pain and promoting healing.

The QGM Quantum device was developed in China where it was observed that QiGong Masters emitted low frequency sound (called Qi or Chi) from their hands at 100 times the level emitted by normal healthy individuals.The QGM machine was created to simulate this healing energy and emits sound in the 7.5-14.00 hertz range which is in the frequency range of alpha brainwaves. It can be used for relieving edema and pain, stimulating the immune system and reducing inflammation among other things.

Research into the low frequency sound emissions of QiGong Masters has been conducted by the Chi Institute. They also investigated the healing power of infratonics on horses, resulting in a specialized equine QGM machine that returned many injured horses back to health. Some of these horses have been winners of the Kentucky Derby.

But the healing isn’t limited to horses. The Escondido Humane Society reported how the QGM saved a dog with third degree burns over eighty percent of her body. And Dr John Simon of the Woodside Animal Hospital in Michigan reports that he has successfully  administered infratonic sound therapy to cats, dogs, birds, reptiles and small mammals. Laura Bradshaw, founder of Healing Heart Sanctuary for injured and disabled animals has graphically described her experiences of healing animals with infratonic frequencies.

The devices described above range in price from a little over $100 USD to almost $900. However, Ken Uzzell who brought us FREX has also supplied plans for do-it-yourselfers to build an infratonic device he calls CHIamp. His software allows the operator to program the infratonic waveform which is transmitted from the computer to a stereo subwoofer. A transducer connected to the subwoofer changes the energy from sound to vibration. Enclosing the transducer in a small bean bag allows the vibration to be applied to parts of the body. Ken Uzzell has commented that he has achieved results this way that he has not achieved any other way.