I have now completed my postgraduate certificate and am qualified as a musculoskeletal (MSK) sonographer. I am now able to scan and diagnose MSK disorders of the upper limb (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand) and lower limb joints (knee, ankle and foot). This will allow us at the clinic to provide greater certainty of the condition you have presented with, which enables the most suitable treatment plan and get you back to being pain free more quickly!
You may have seen an ultrasound machine before, as they are commonly used with pregnant women. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, which bounce off various tissues within the body. This provides a detailed image of these structures and thus diagnostic ultrasound is the primary imaging choice for several musculoskeletal conditions. In particular, ultrasound is useful in evaluating ligaments, muscles and tendons.
Ultrasound is hugely beneficial due to its ability to examine patients in real time and structures can be dynamically assessed. For example if someone is struggling with reaching their arm up, the probe can be placed over the painful area whilst the patient is performing this movement. These images can then be evaluated and therefore adds significantly to their diagnosis.
Ultrasound is completely safe and does not have any side-effects associated with the radiation of X-ray and CT, or the magnetic fields of MRI. It is also much cheaper than these other imaging modalities.