Abstract
The objective of this paper was to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound in decreasing pain for individuals with pain in the upper extremity. Pain is a very common debilitating problem experienced by millions of Americans. Pain commonly effects the upper extremity and causes a decrease in function. Occupational therapy offers many different treatment options other than simply prescribing pain medication. One of these pain treatment methods is ultrasound therapy. Ultrasound therapy is used to send pulsed waves to target underlying tissue. From the research studies we reviewed we found ultrasound to be an effective tool to use to treat pain in the upper extremity but it should be used in conjunction with other therapy treatments. Further research is also needed to show that it is effective with different populations.