0156 4772 926
enquiries@solihullphysiotherapypractice.co.ukUltrasound and Guided injections
Diagnostic ultrasound
- Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) imaging is performed by fully trained clinical specialist physiotherapists to add additional diagnostic information to the clinical assessment and help to plan your injection if indicated.
- This not only improves the accuracy of the diagnosis but also allows us to look for any factors that might rule out the use of injection treatment. Sometimes the selection of a specific injection type (e.g., steroid versus hyaluronic acid) may change based on the ultrasound scan findings.
- Diagnostic ultrasound scanning provides a very detailed assessment of certain tissues, such as tendons, which can help improve the overall management of your condition before and after an injection, and ultimately improve the quality of your rehabilitation.
- Our one-stop clinic allows us to assess and scan patients and proceed to injection within the same appointment.
- However, if following assessment and scan it is decided that an injection is not appropriate, then the patient is charged only for the assessment.
Which conditions can Ultrasound diagnose?
In diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, sound waves are used to produce images of muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, bones and nerves in the body.
Diagnostic ultrasound assesses many musculoskeletal structures:
Joint – swelling and inflammation, synovitis, cysts, osteoarthritis.
Bursa – swollen, thickened, and inflamed bursas (bursitis).
Ligament – tears and ruptures.
Tendon – tears and ruptures, tendinosis (degeneration), tenosynovitis (inflammation).
Muscle – tears and haematomas.
Nerve – inflammation and entrapment.
Bone – whilst X-ray is typically the first-choice imaging modality for bones, osteoarthritis can be seen on ultrasound, and sometimes certain bone fractures are also visible on ultrasound.
Diagnostic ultrasound scan along with clinical assessment can be used to accurately confirm the presence of common conditions such:
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinopathies around the wrist and hand
- Calf, hamstring, and quadriceps muscle tears
- Ankle and knee ligament tears
- Baker’s cyst, patella tendinopathy, osteoarthritis at the knee
- Achilles and other tendinopathies around the ankle
- Gluteal tendinopathy and bursitis at the hip
Conditions which we do not scan
Please be aware that we do not assess:
Non-traumatic lumps and bumps. The abdominal region and hernias. Any parts of the spine, neck or face.
Why book for a diagnostic Ultrasound scan?
Diagnostic ultrasound has been used for many years alongside thorough physiotherapy assessment to diagnose and guide the treatment of a range of musculoskeletal conditions in our patients. The clinical specialists that use diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound have undertaken formal training and have gained postgraduate qualifications in musculoskeletal sonography, are highly experienced physiotherapists, fully trained injection therapists and independent prescribers of medication.
The Society and College of Radiographers and The British Medical Ultrasound Society (2020) professional guidelines state that musculoskeletal ultrasound appearances must always be taken in clinical context. The fact that our clinicians are also highly specialist physiotherapists ensures that the ultrasound scan findings are immediately interpreted in the context of a full clinical assessment, allowing more informed decision making regarding the correct management of your condition.
Many musculoskeletal injuries and conditions do not require imaging. A good clinical diagnosis can normally identify the problem and establish the correct treatment plan. However, in cases where it is difficult to differentiate between 2 or more potential diagnoses, a diagnostic ultrasound scan along with physical assessment by one of our clinical specialists can be helpful in expediting a diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment. Equally, if you have been following a treatment plan and your symptoms have not been improving, then a diagnostic ultrasound scan can be helpful in confirming a diagnosis, and/or excluding others.
The use of diagnostic ultrasound by specially trained physiotherapists is increasing because, quite simply, it makes good sense and is cost-effective. Having an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist combining appropriate ultrasound imaging with a good clinical assessment could be considered a gold standard.
The constantly improving technology allows many conditions to be diagnosed at the same level of accuracy as MRI, with the added convenience of being able to test structures dynamically (while moving) and being able to immediately compare with the ‘normal’ side (allowing for individual anatomical variations).
Booking an Assessment with Dynamic Ultrasound
If you would like to book an ultrasound scan as part of your assessment, or if you would like to find out more about how we use diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, or have any questions regarding any of our injection treatments.
Please call 07719959955 or email enquiries@solihullphysiotherapypractice.co.uk
Ultrasound guided injection
The Clinic offer an ultrasound guided injection service allowing fast and easy access to pain relieving injections for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.
All patients will receive a thorough assessment and ultrasound scan. All of our injections are performed under ultrasound guidance to ensure they are safely and accurately delivered to the exact area of your pain.
We offer a comprehensive range of injection options for all upper and lower limb conditions including shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, plantar fasciitis, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Our Team are able to uniquely combine expert musculoskeletal assessment skills along with diagnostic ultrasound assessment to confirm the diagnosis of your condition and perform ultrasound guided injections.
All injections include:
- Comprehensive clinical assessment and ultrasound scan prior to the injection (all part of fee)
- Clear explanation of findings and the role of injections in treatment
- Detailed discussion of the pros and cons of injection therapy
- All injections are carried out under ultrasound guidance to ensure safety, accuracy, and effectiveness
- Overview of how injection therapy fits into an overall treatment programme
- Report of assessment, scan findings, and injection details
There is a significant body of research which demonstrates that ultrasound guided injections give better outcomes such as improved levels of pain relief, longer lasting benefits, and improve the post-injection function of the injected area, compared with injections that are done without ultrasound guidance ( e.g.blind/surface marked injections). There is also growing evidence that guiding the injection reduces the risk of trauma to local tissues or misplacement of the needle and/or the injection substance. This improves the safety of the injection and reduces the risk of adverse events associated with injection therapy. Because the location of the injection is more precisely known it reduces the chances of having unnecessary injections. Many patients find ultrasound guided injections to be more comfortable as often the required depth of the injection can be reduced.
Which body parts are we able to Inject?
Steroid injection can be very effective for a number of musculoskeletal pain conditions. Common injections include frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis of the knee, trigger finger / thumb, osteoarthritis of any joint around foot or hand, localised soft tissue inflammation or tenosynovitis, such as De-Quervains or tendon inflammation at the shoulder. We also provide a range of Ostenil and Durolane (hyaluronic acid) injections which can be very beneficial to patients with degenerative joint pain (such as osteoarthritis) who are keen to keep moving and active.
How do I book?
To requesting an appointment for an injection
Please call 07719959955 or email enquiries@solihullphysiotherapypractice.co.uk
When booking please ensure we have your full name, date of birth, your address and GP contact details. On the day you will be seen, assessed and evaluated with ultrasound scan. The findings of which will be discussed with you before proceeding with ultrasound guided injection.
Write us your query
The Silhillians sports club and Conference Venue, Warwick Rd, Solihull, B93 9LW