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Home › Physical Therapy CE Courses › Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound
At a Glance
| Course: | Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound · 1 CE hour · $20 |
| Faculty: | Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN |
| Format: | Online, on-demand — start immediately |
| Pricing: | $20 ($20/hr) · automatic bundle discounts |
| Approval: | PACE Provider #34015544 · TCC co-sponsored |
PACE Provider #34015544 · Co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College · Completions reported to CE BrokerTherapeutic ultrasound has been a cornerstone of chiropractic physical therapy for more than six decades — and it is one of the most widely used electrophysical agents in practice today. Physical Therapy 203 is the one-hour course that takes the modality apart and puts it back together: the physical principles behind the transducer, the terminology and the dosage variables, the thermal and non-thermal effects on tissue, the indications and contraindications, safe application technique, and what the evidence says about its efficacy — including the possible reasons for its apparent lack of effect.
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series — builds the hour for the clinician who already owns the machine: which frequency reaches which depth, continuous versus pulsed output and how a duty cycle is calculated, the heating classifications that match a tissue goal, and the common musculoskeletal conditions managed with ultrasound. It sits alongside his Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management and Dr. Yeomans' Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy in the modality lane of the series.
Where This Course Fits — The Physical Therapy Series
The CCEDseminars Physical Therapy series runs 201–205: three modality courses and two regional rehabilitation courses. There is no bundle in this category — each course is taken on its own, and the multi-course discount applies automatically in the cart when the hours add up.
Modalities (201–203) — you are here
Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy (Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · free) · Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound — this course (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · $20)
Regional Rehabilitation (204–205)
Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity (Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis (Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP · 2 CE · $40)
The full series, with pricing, lives on the Physical Therapy category page.
What You'll Learn
On completing Physical Therapy 203 you will be able to:
- Explain the physical principles of therapeutic ultrasound — how the piezoelectric transducer converts electrical energy to acoustic energy, and how frequency (1 MHz versus 3 MHz) determines depth of penetration
- Define the common terminology and the variables that affect dosage: frequency, wavelength, intensity, amplitude, effective radiating area, beam non-uniformity ratio, continuous versus pulsed output and duty cycle, coupling medium, tissue composition, and transducer movement
- Differentiate the thermal and non-thermal (mechanical) effects of ultrasound at the cellular and tissue level, and match the heating classifications (mild, moderate, vigorous) to the clinical goal — inflammation, muscle spasm, pain, blood flow, or tissue elongation
- Identify the indications and the common musculoskeletal conditions managed with therapeutic ultrasound, recognize its contraindications, and apply safe technique: sound-head movement, water immersion, and treatment frequency
- Evaluate the published evidence on the efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound for knee osteoarthritis, chronic joint pain and neck pain, and the possible reasons for its apparent lack of effect
Course Outline
- Introduction — seventy years of ultrasound as therapy; one of the most widely used electrophysical agents; why its effectiveness still remains in question
- Physical Principles — the piezoelectric transducer, propagation and attenuation; power in watts; the 0.75–3 MHz therapeutic range; 1 MHz for 3–5 cm depth, 3 MHz for 1–2 cm
- Common Terminology and Production — thermal versus non-thermal effects; the electropiezo effect; continuous and pulsed modes; pulsed output and the duty cycle calculation
- Variables Affecting Dosage — frequency, wavelength, intensity, amplitude, effective radiating area, beam non-uniformity ratio (BNR), coupling medium, tissue composition, transducer movement and angle, session frequency and duration
- Effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound — thermal effects and heating classifications; non-thermal effects (cavitation, acoustic microstreaming); cellular response, inflammation, blood and fluid dynamics; pain control, muscle spasm, tissue elasticity, tendon and wound healing, fracture healing
- Clinical Application — uses and indications; common conditions managed with therapeutic ultrasound; contraindications; treatment frequency; sound-head movement; water immersion technique
- Efficacy of Therapeutic Ultrasound — the evidence for knee osteoarthritis, chronic joint pain of the hip, shoulder and knee, and neck pain
- Possible Reasons for the Apparent Lack of Effect of Therapeutic Ultrasound
- Conclusion and References
Your Physical Therapy Faculty
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — instructor of this course — is a Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series. In this series he also teaches Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management. Faculty profile »
Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO — board-certified chiropractic orthopedist — teaches Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy. Faculty profile »
Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP — Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians — teaches Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity and Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis. Faculty profile »
Credit, Reporting & State Rules
Physical Therapy 203 is a 1-hour on-demand course. Your completion is recorded electronically when you pass the post-course assessment, and your certificate is issued immediately. Completions are reported to CE Broker for the states CCEDseminars serves.
Boards set their own caps on online hours, and some limit hours by category. Before you plan a block of online hours, confirm your board's current rules on the State/Region CEU Approvals page. Texas licensees can verify provider status through the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page.
What It Costs — and How to Pay Less
Physical Therapy 203 is $20 for 1 CE hour — $20 per hour. Multi-course discounts apply automatically in the cart — 10% on 6–9 hours and 20% on 10 or more — with no promo code to enter.
The whole Physical Therapy series is 8 CE hours: 203 pairs most directly with Dr. Benedikt's 202 TENS for Pain Management (1 CE · free) — the two together are 2 hours of electrophysical-agent CE for $20 — and with Dr. Yeomans' 201 Laser Therapy (2 CE · $40) to complete the modality lane. Dr. O'Hara's 204 Lower Extremity (2 CE · $40) and 205 Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis (2 CE · $40) cover the regional rehabilitation these modalities support.
References
- Rodríguez-Grande EI, Osma-Rueda JL, Serrano-Villar Y, Ramírez C. Effects of pulsed therapeutic ultrasound on the treatment of people with knee osteoarthritis. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017;29:1637–1643.
- Loyola-Sánchez A, Richardson J, MacIntyre NJ. Efficacy of ultrasound therapy for the management of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010;18:1117–1126.
- Aiyer R, Noori SA, Chang K-V, et al. Therapeutic ultrasound for chronic pain management in joints: a systematic review. Pain Med. 2020;21(7):1437–1448. doi:10.1093/pm/pnz102
- Qing W, Shi X, Zhang Q, Peng L, et al. Effect of therapeutic ultrasound for neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021.
- Kumar S, Maroto R, Powell S, et al. Rejuvenating senescent cells and organisms with only ultrasound. University of Texas Medical Branch (preprint).
- Physiopedia. Therapeutic Ultrasound. physio-pedia.com/Therapeutic_Ultrasound (course resource as listed on the record).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Physical Therapy 203 cover?
Therapeutic ultrasound — also called ultrasound therapy or TUS — as a chiropractic modality: the physical principles of the transducer and the ultrasound beam, the common terminology, the variables that affect dosage (frequency, intensity, duty cycle, coupling, transducer movement), the thermal and non-thermal effects on tissue, the heating classifications, the indications and contraindications, safe application technique, and a review of the evidence on its efficacy — including the possible reasons for its apparent lack of effect.
Who teaches the course, and who is it for?
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series — teaches the 1-hour course. It is written for Doctors of Chiropractic who use or are considering therapeutic ultrasound in the office and want the physics, the dosage logic, the contraindications and the evidence in one sitting.
Does ultrasound therapy actually work, and what is it used for?
The course puts the question squarely: therapeutic ultrasound has been in clinical use for over sixty years, yet its effectiveness for pain, musculoskeletal injuries and soft tissue lesions is still questioned. The evidence reviewed includes systematic reviews finding that ultrasound may reduce pain in knee osteoarthritis, hip, shoulder and knee pain, and neck pain, without adverse effects — alongside the reasons results are inconsistent. Conditions commonly managed with it include ligament sprains, muscle strains, tendonitis, bursitis, plantar fasciitis, joint inflammation, scar tissue adhesion, osteoarthritis and low back pain.
How is the course delivered, and how do I earn the CE credit?
Physical Therapy 203 is online and on-demand: you start immediately after checkout and work at your own pace. When you pass the post-course assessment your completion is recorded electronically and your certificate is issued right away. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544 and the course is co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College; completions are reported to CE Broker for the states served. Approved states are listed at the bottom of this page, and confirming your own board's requirements remains your responsibility.
What pairs well with Physical Therapy 203?
Dr. Benedikt's Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management is the natural companion — it is free, 1 CE, and the two together make 2 hours of electrophysical-agent CE for $20. Dr. Yeomans' Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy completes the modality lane, and Dr. O'Hara's 204 Lower Extremity and 205 Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis cover the regional rehabilitation these modalities support. The whole series is 8 CE hours, and the multi-course discount applies automatically when the hours add up.
State approval and licensing reminder. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544. Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page, and board rules on online hours change — confirming your own board's current requirements before you enroll is your responsibility.
Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound
1 CE hour · $20 · online, on demand · Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN
CCEDseminars · PACE Provider #34015544 · Reviewed by Monte Horne, DC · Last updated October 21, 2026 (CT)