Find the Real Source of Your Pain…SOONER

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 go to your physical therapist and have him / her perform 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?

Physical therapists have a long history of effectively using imaging in the military and with many states – including Virginia – having direct access laws, physical therapists now are becoming primary care providers for musculoskeletal injuries. This is making the use of MSKUS – a type of imaging – more popular for those therapists trained to perform such diagnostic tests.

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;

If you (or your doctor) want to “see your pain” your friends at Chiron Physical Therapy provide high quality, reliable testing and remain at the forefront of new research enabling you to better understand the underlying cause of your condition which ultimately results in better outcomes.