What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to generate images of the soft tissues within the body. It is a safe and effective imaging modality for assessing peripheral joints and their associated soft tissues including shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee or foot.
It can be especially beneficial in cases of clinical uncertainty, those non-responsive to conservative care and assessing appropriateness for certain treatment modalities e.g. shockwave / cortico-steroid injection.
What does it cost?
Ultrasound scans are charged at £95 per area or £165 for two separate areas.
What’s the difference between Ultrasound and an X-ray?
Unlike X-ray, ultrasound does not use ionsing radiation and is often quicker, cheaper and better tolerated than MRI.
Do I need a referral?
Yes. You will require a referral from a medical professional to access this service, we do not accept self-referral. Patients should allow 30 minutes for their appointment, more if multiple areas are being scanned.
To ensure that a diagnostic ultrasound scan is appropriate for you, please speak to your clinician. Referral may be made by your chiropractor, GP, physiotherapist, osteopath or other suitably qualified healthcare provider. If you do not have or can not access your provider, you can book an appointment with one of our chiropractors who is qualified to advise whether an ultrasound scan would be appropriate for your presenting issue. Call reception on the clinic number above or email Ultrasound@tauntonchiropractic.co.uk
What ultrasound scans do we offer?
This is a musculoskeletal ultrasound scanning service. Some of the most common areas and pathologies appropriate for ultrasound include:
Shoulder
- Adhesive capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)
- AC Joint injury
- Bursitis
- Calcific tendinopathy
- Impingement syndromes
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy
- Tears
Elbow
- Bursitis
- Common extensor tendinopathy (Tennis Elbow)
- Common flexor tendinopathy (Golfer’s Elbow)
- Distal biceps tendinopathy / tear
- Distal triceps tendinopathy / tear
- Ulnar collateral ligament injury
- Ulnar nerve neuropathy
- Ulnar nerve subluxation
Wrist / Hand
- DuPuytren’s contracture
- Tendinopathy / tear
- Tenosynovitis including De Quervains tenosynovitis
- Synovitis and/or evidence of inflammatory arthropathy
Hip
- Bursitis (anterior, lateral, medial and posterior hip)
- Effusion
- Synovitis
- Tear
- Tendinopathy
Knee
- Baker’s cyst
- Bursitis
- Effusion
- MCL / LCL pathology
- Synovitis
- Tear
- Tendinopathy
Ankle / Foot
- Bursitis
- Inter-metatarsal neuroma
- Lateral ligament injury
- Plantar fasciitis
- Stress fracture
- Sub-metatarsal / adventitious bursitis
- Tear
- Tendinopathy
Soft Tissue Masses
- Ganglion cysts
- Lipoma
We do not offer ultrasound scans for the following:
- Abdomen
- Hernias
- Necks (including thyroid)
- Paediatrics (under 16) – exceptions made for sporting injuries, to be considered on a case-by-case basis
- Pelvis (gynae)
- Spine
- Testes
- Vascular (including DVT)
How do I make a referral to this service?
Please complete the online Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Scanning Referral Form and email to Ultrasound@tauntonchiropractic.co.uk. If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt email within 24 hours, please call the clinic directly to check on your referral.
Referring clinicians will receive a report that will be sent out within 5 working days of the completed ultrasound appointment. These will be sent via first class post. Any request for email copies of reports will not contain patient-identifiable information. Patients can request a copy of their ultrasound report from their referring clinician or via written request to Ultrasound@tauntonchiropractic.co.uk
Additional imaging and/or onward referral will be recommended if appropriate.
MRI is still gold standard for the evaluation of intra-articular pathology including labral and meniscal pathology, however ultrasound can be a useful first-line imaging tool in these cases.
Gold standard for osteoarthritis diagnosis is plain film, however ultrasound can give an overall idea of the level of degenerative change in a joint.