Diagnostic Testing … Find the Real Source of Your Pain 

Look around and many of your friends, neighbors or co-workers are suffering daily with joint and muscle pain. Whether the pain resulted from a direct injury or the origins have them scratching their head, they want relief. They want to get a diagnosis in order to address the issue. It is often at this point in the pain cycle that people go to their doctors who in turn order diagnostic testing such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs. 

What if you could skip these expensive and often invasive tests? What if you could capitalize on recent advances in sonar and ultrasound technology that have created a more functional and practical approach to evaluating joints, muscles, ligaments and even nerves? What if you could get a musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS), a test whose results will enable the right treatment plan be designed which will help you recover quicker and reduce the risk for re-occurrence?

MSKUS is very similar to the more common sonogram used during pregnancy as it uses sound waves to create an image of what’s going on in the body in real time. MSKUS captures movement of muscles, tendons and nerves and often provides a clearer image of these structures than other types of imaging. This clearer image enables your healthcare provider to more accurately diagnose strains, sprains, inflammatory conditions such as tendonitis or bursitis, nerve entrapments and hernias. 

Clinical evidence and research supports MSKUS as the preferred diagnostic test for many musculoskeletal injuries. Advantages include:

• MSKUS is a non-invasive, very safe imagining modality using no radiation and having no known adverse effects;
• MSKUS does not use magnets and therefore can be used on people who can’t have an MRI, including patients with pacemakers and certain types of metal implants;
• MSKUS is less expensive than most other types of imaging;
• MSKUS does not just get a static image but captures movement and provides greater detail of soft tissues like muscles, tendons and joints;
• MSKUS does not require individuals to remain still, meaning it is can be easily used on people who are claustrophobic or nervous about other imaging tests;

In addition to performing MSKUS tests, your Chiron team also conducts EMG and NCS testing.

• An EMG (Electromyogram) measures the electrical activity of muscles at rest and during contraction.
  • Detects whether the muscle is working properly in response to a nerve’s stimulus
• NCS (Nerve Conduction Studies) is used to measure the health of your nerves
  • Detects if there are issues with the nerve

Measuring the electrical activity in muscles and nerves can help find diseases that damage muscle tissue (such as myopathy and muscular dystrophy) or nerves (such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or peripheral neuropathies). Physicians may recommend EMG / NCS testing for patients presenting with numbness, tingling, radiating pain in their extremities, weakness or for whom Guillain-Barré, carpal tunnel, chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy and neuropathy or sciatic nerve problems may be suspected.

If your physician wants to see your pain and orders an EMG (Electromyography), NCS or MSKUS, Chiron Diagnostics is here for you and can typically get your test scheduled and performed within a week thereby enabling you to get answers sooner. With accurate diagnostic tests, your healthcare team will be armed to create precise evidenced based treatments resulting in better outcomes.