Musculoskeletal ultrasounds have become a go-to diagnostic tool for treating sports injuries in athletes of all ages.
A musculoskeletal ultrasound looks at the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can help identify injuries or abnormalities in athletes that may be affecting their performance or may be an injury from their training.
Elite Chiropractic and Sport is proud to offer musculoskeletal ultrasounds at our Columbia, MD office. This allows us to better find the underlying issue of pain and come up with a personalized treatment plan that targets the root of the injury for better performance and long-lasting treatment.
Discover 7 ways a musculoskeletal ultrasound could be the right diagnostic tool for your sports injury treatment.
What is a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
A musculoskeletal ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging tool used by medical professionals. Using sound waves, it is able to give imagery of muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and connective tissue.
This imaging often replaces CTs and MRIs. It is available in-office as opposed to being only supplied at an imaging center. Patients can wear loose clothing and the imaging is non-invasive. It is a painless way to identify injury, inflammation, and other abnormalities to help treat sports injuries in athletes.
How a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Helps Treat Sports Injuries
1) Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tool
Musculoskeletal ultrasounds provide in-depth imagery via a non-invasive technique. Directly in the office, patients can have the ultrasound wand applied and see on screen their musculoskeletal system alongside their doctor.
No invasive surgery, scans, or radiation exposure to see exactly what is going on and get detailed images. Aside from an MSK ultrasound, most imagery done to identify similar injuries is via a CT scan or MRI scan.
MSK ultrasounds are convenient, easy, painless, and provide instant information.
2) Accurate Imaging with Extensive Data
Before Musculoskeletal Ultrasounds, MRIs and CTs were the go-to for musculoskeletal imaging. Now, MSK ultrasounds allow for even more accurate imagery with extensive diagnostic data.
The imaging allows practitioners to assess pain, compressions, fluid content, movement, dynamic assessments, and more. Stress maneuvers can be applied to see what triggers the pain and under what circumstances.
3) Dynamic Assessment
Unlike other diagnostic imaging that requires the patient to be still, musculoskeletal ultrasounds allow for movement during the imaging process. Practitioners of MSK ultrasound can apply the ultrasound wand and watch, in real time, the movements of the musculoskeletal system.
This allows your chiropractor to determine precisely what is happening within your body. This includes joint bends, lunges, arches, rotations, and more. With this imaging technique, we are able to define exactly what triggers the injury, pain, or discomfort to find and treat the underlying issue.
4) No Need for Out-Sourced Imaging
Musculoskeletal ultrasounds have become more available in chiropractic offices, physical therapists’ offices, on sports teams, and more. This means all diagnostic tools are available in-house, with the ability to help diagnose and propose a treatment plan without visiting an imaging center and waiting for results.
This is more convenient for patients, faster for practitioners, and speeds along the treatment and recovery process to reduce time waiting, resting, or potentially allowing the condition to get worse.
5) Real Time Feedback from the Patient
In addition to real-time images for the practitioner, patients are also able to give real-time feedback on what they are feeling during the imaging process. By recreating the motion that prompts the pain or triggers a reaction and getting a real-time view, patients can explain precisely what they are feeling so chiropractors can connect all feedback they are receiving.
The ability for the patient to explain the sensations they are experiencing while watching the movements allows for a more in-depth analysis of what is happening and what is the cause.
6) Real Time Imaging
When patients visit imaging centers, the images and results are not instantly available to them or their treating doctors. This means the injury can change, warp, or alter, even in only a few days – or weeks.
Real-time imaging from an MSK ultrasound allows your chiropractor to see precisely what is happening in the body in that instant. Nothing beats the ability to identify problems and propose treatment solutions as they are being witnessed and identified.
7) More Affordable Imaging Option
For many patients, musculoskeletal ultrasound is an affordable diagnostic option when they feel they are unable to find a treatment for their injury.
Comparable imaging solutions, like MRIs and CTs, can cost thousands of dollars and involve waiting lists, referrals, and more. MSK ultrasounds are becoming more widespread, accessible, and affordable. Elite Chiropractic staff can help you determine if your insurance coverage can help with an MSK ultrasound for your next treatment visit.
Bonus: Guided Injection Treatments and Dry Needling Application
Another benefit to having a musculoskeletal ultrasound in-house for patient treatment is the ability to watch and inject treatments into the precise location. For Elite Chiropractic and Sport, this is used as a tool to help enhance dry needling treatments.
By being able to watch the needle enter the musculoskeletal system via ultrasound, our chiropractors can apply dry needling directly to the area that is most tense. This precision application helps with more effective dry needling treatments to help treat musculoskeletal pain at a faster and more effective rate.
When to Seek MSK Diagnostics
Musculoskeletal ultrasounds are not an immediate go-to diagnostic tools. Chiropractors and physical therapists will first try to assess the source of the pain or injury by other methods. However, if treatments and diagnostics from traditonal methods are not producing results, MSK ultrasounds could help.
Your chiropractor may discuss a diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound for sports injuries if you experience persistent pain, increased swelling, or mobility issues in the joints and muscles. They may also be used to identify tendon tears and ligament strains.
Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for Sports Injuries:
- Snapping Hip/Hip Pain
- Knee Pain
- Ankle Pain
- Leg Pain
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Ligament Tears
- Tendon Tears
- Ankle Sprain
- Plantar Fasciopathy
- Stress Fractures
- Muscle Tears
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
More
Schedule Your Diagnostic Ultrasound at Elite Chiropractic and Sport Today
Located in Columbia, MD, Elite Chiropractic and Sport is a 5-star rated chiropractic treatment office that specializes in sports medicine and athletic injures. MSK ultrasound is one of our highly rated tools to help with diagnostics, treatment plans, and full injury recovery.
Don’t just settle, get a treatment plan based on pain-free living and improved athletic performance. Get advice on injury prevention and how to gradually increase training without repeating old injuries.
See the difference today. Schedule online now or call with any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a musculoskeletal ultrasound help treat a sports injury?
Yes, musculoskeletal ultrasounds are great for treating sports injuries. The imaging system allows for enhanced diagnostics of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and more, which is often the cause of a sports injury or related pain.
What is the difference between a musculoskeletal ultrasound and an x-ray?
X-rays look at bones and do not show imagery of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Both imaging procedures can be helpful if the cause of the injury is not immediately transparent.
Will a musculoskeletal ultrasound hurt?
No, a musculoskeletal ultrasound does not cause any discomfort or pain. Patients may feel discomfort moving or aggravating their injury for precise imaging during the procedure, but it is non-invasive and has no common side effects.
About the Author
Dr. Bross is the owner of Elite Chiropractic and Sport. He serves as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. His unique approach to individualized patient care is based on the evaluation and treatment of the “whole” person.
Dr. Bross is a leader in the promotion of health and wellness. He has accumulated an extensive knowledge of the musculoskeletal and nutritional components of the human body. He is skilled in the Graston Technique, Active Release Technique, and Sports Medicine.
