Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

What is diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound?

Ultrasound is a safe, painless diagnostic imaging technology that has multiple purposes in several areas of medicine. Dr. Hilal uses state-of-the-art ultrasound to diagnose musculoskeletal disorders.

The diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound at South Coast Sports and Spine Medicine plays a key role in assessing many types of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries, including chronic conditions like arthritis and acute injuries such as muscle and tendon strains and ligament sprains.

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound doesn't use ionizing radiation like CT scans and X-rays, and unlike an MRI, you can have an ultrasound when you have metal implants. That makes ultrasound the safest form of diagnostic imaging technology available.

The real-time, dynamic nature of diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound can also diagnose problems that a static, expensive MRI might miss.

How does diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound work?

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound or sonography works by transmitting sound waves into your body that bounce back as they come in contact with your tissues.

The sound waves come from a handheld probe called a transducer that your technician moves over your skin. A special lubricant gel helps the transducer slide across the skin more easily and improves the transmission of the sound waves.

The transducer picks up the returning sound waves and sends them to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound software translates the sound waves into images that you and Dr. Hilal can see on a monitor.

What conditions can diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound diagnose?

Dr. Hilal uses diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound for many purposes. Some of these include diagnosing and assessing:

• Soft tissue injuries
• Tendinitis
• Pinched nerves
• Tumors
• Dislocations
• Joint inflammation

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound is also useful for identifying anything like a foreign object stuck in your muscles or joints causing pain or infection.

Are there other uses for a diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound?

In addition to its invaluable role as a diagnostic tool, musculoskeletal ultrasound is essential for delivering joint and spinal injections. Dr. Hilal uses diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound if your condition requires treatments like prolotherapy, epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, nerve blocks, or PRP injections.

These injectable therapies require the highest degree of accuracy to avoid damaging surrounding nerves or blood vessels and deliver the medication exactly where it's most needed.

Another potential treatment for persistent back and neck pain is radiofrequency ablation, which involves transmitting heat into specific nerves in your spine. Dr. Hilal uses diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound to locate the correct nerves and deliver the radiofrequency energy safely.

To benefit from the state-of-the-art diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound facilities at South Coast Sports and Spine Medicine, call the office or book an appointment online today.