Do you have a physical complaint and would you like to know what is wrong? In that case, we sometimes use ultrasound scans at our practice. We opt to carry out an ultrasound scan if, in the case of a particular complaint, our physiotherapists cannot say with certainty what the problem is just by looking with the naked eye. With the help of ultrasound, we can actually look inside a muscle or, for example, a tendon.
Ultrasound is often thought of as an examination within the hospital or at an obstetric practice at the time someone is pregnant. However, it is also possible for our physiotherapists to choose to have an ultrasound done within our practice. Our therapists have undergone additional training in ultrasound.
How does ultrasound work?
Ultrasound works with sound vibrations/sound waves. These sound waves are emitted by a transmitter placed on the skin. This transmitter is also simultaneously the receiver of the waves that are reflected back by the body tissues. The various tissues in the body absorb and reflect the sound.
Utility of ultrasound within physiotherapy
Our physiotherapists mainly use ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis made by the therapist. An ultrasound scan enables us to quickly and clearly determine what is causing your pain and where the cause lies. This ultrasound scan allows us to draw up an effective treatment plan for your injury. We hope this will help you get rid of your symptoms quickly!
What can we properly assess with an ultrasound?
On ultrasound, we can assess muscles, tendons, capsule, ligaments and calcification particularly well. We can also see if there is fluid in a joint or if there might be bursitis. In addition, the beauty of the ultrasound is that we can also look dynamically (moving) at what is happening in the joint and what is causing complaints. We use ultrasound mainly for sports injuries, shoulder complaints, hip complaints, knee complaints, elbow complaints, Achilles tendon complaints, heel spur complaints and ankle complaints.
Benefits of ultrasound within physiotherapy
- The examination is harmless and painless.
- Ultrasound can be performed dynamically, i.e. during (painful) movement.
- You don’t need to go to hospital for an ultrasound scan; you can have it done here at our surgery.
- Thanks to ultrasound, we can draw up an appropriate treatment plan with greater certainty, enabling you to get rid of your symptoms more quickly.
- The ultrasound examination may be repeated after a few weeks to monitor recovery.
- If we consider it necessary, we can refer you to a doctor or specialist based on the results of the ultrasound scan
Also read: our ultrasound page for more information about ultrasound within our practice.
