Focused Ultrasounds in the Rehabilitation Setting: A Narrative Review

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging noninvasive technology with significant therapeutic potential across various clinical domains. FUS enables precise targeting of tissues using mechanisms like thermoablation, mechanical disruption, and neuromodulation, minimizing damage to surrounding areas. In movement disorders such as essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease, MR-guided FUS thalamotomy has demonstrated substantial tremor reduction and improved quality of life. Psychiatric applications include anterior capsulotomy for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder, with promising symptom relief and minimal cognitive side effects. FUS also facilitates blood-brain barrier opening for drug delivery in neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Musculoskeletal applications highlight its efficacy in managing chronic pain from knee osteoarthritis and lumbar facet joint syndrome through precise thermal ablation. Additionally, FUS has shown potential in neuropathic pain management and peripheral nerve stimulation, offering innovative approaches for amputees and cancer survivors. Cognitive and neuromodulatory research underscores its ability to enhance motor function and interhemispheric cortical balance, benefiting stroke and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Despite these conditions frequently leading to various kinds of disabilities, no direct exploration of the possible FUS application in rehabilitation is yet available in the literature. All this considered, this review aims to discuss how FUS could be applied in rehabilitation, exploring the current status of knowledge and highlighting future directions.