PERSONAL HEALTH : SHOPTALK : Waves of Sound Can Ease the Pain

Do you suffer from headaches, arthritis, muscular aches and pain?

Try sonic pain relief, suggests the manufacturer of Sonassage , a hand-held device that pulses 450,000 sound waves a minute to wherever you hurt.

“Sound waves are very gentle,” said Fred Reinstein, president of Intra-Sonic Laboratories International, a Los Angeles firm that markets Sonassage through department and discount stores or via telephone order, (800) 933-2033.

“They increase the blood flow, bringing more oxygen to the area that hurts and thus relieving pain,” Reinstein said. The basic Sonassage model is $69.95.

Dr. Colin Stokol, a Centinela Hospital neurologist and pain-control expert, said he would not prescribe such a device, but does not think it is harmful.

“They won’t hurt you and they may make you feel good,” he said. “They’re like a Band-Aid.”