Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Scans

Expert in-house ultrasound assessment for muscle, tendon and joint problems

When pain or an injury is not improving as expected, a musculoskeletal ultrasound scan can provide valuable additional information about what may be happening beneath the skin.

At Back & Body Clinic, our in-house musculoskeletal ultrasound scans are performed by appropriately trained Sport and Exercise Medicine consultants and advanced practice physiotherapists.

Your scan is combined with a detailed clinical assessment rather than being considered in isolation. This means your clinician can examine you, scan the affected area, explain the findings and use the information to recommend the most appropriate next step.

What is a musculoskeletal ultrasound scan?

Musculoskeletal ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create live images of muscles, tendons, joints and other soft tissues.

Unlike an X-ray or CT scan, diagnostic ultrasound does not use ionising radiation. It also produces images in real time, allowing your clinician to assess certain structures while you move the affected area.

This dynamic assessment can be particularly helpful when symptoms occur during a specific movement or activity.

What can an MSK ultrasound scan assess?

Depending on your symptoms and the area being examined, musculoskeletal ultrasound may help assess:

• Tendon pain, irritation, thickening or tears
• Muscle injuries and suspected muscle tears
• Bursitis and other fluid-filled swellings
• Joint swelling or fluid
• Some ligament injuries
• Selected superficial nerves and soft tissues
• Changes associated with inflammation
• Symptoms that appear during movement

Ultrasound can provide images of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves and surrounding soft tissues. However, it is not the right investigation for every condition, so your clinician will first decide whether it is likely to answer the specific clinical question. We have an in-house MRI scanner at the Moulton clinic.

Areas we can examine

Our clinicians can use musculoskeletal ultrasound to assess suitable conditions affecting areas such as the:

• Shoulder
• Elbow
• Wrist and hand
• Hip and surrounding soft tissues
• Knee
• Ankle and foot
• Calf, thigh and other muscle groups

Examples may include rotator cuff problems, tennis or golfer’s elbow, Achilles tendon pain, muscle injuries, bursitis and other suspected soft-tissue conditions.

The most appropriate type of imaging depends on your history, symptoms and clinical examination. In some cases, an MRI scan, X-ray or another investigation may provide more useful information.

Why have your ultrasound scan at Back & Body Clinic?

Your assessment and scan are connected

The clinician performing your scan also understands your symptoms, medical history and physical examination findings. They can interpret the images within the wider context of your condition rather than relying on the scan alone.

See structures in real time

Ultrasound allows the clinician to view certain tendons, muscles and joints while you move. This can help when symptoms only appear in a particular position or during a specific movement.

Understand the findings

In most cases, your clinician will discuss the relevant findings with you during the appointment. They will explain what the images may mean, how they relate to your symptoms and whether any further investigation is needed.

Leave with clear next steps

The purpose of the scan is not simply to produce an image. Its purpose is to help guide your care.

Depending on the findings, your next steps could include:

• A personalised rehabilitation programme
• Changes to activity, training or loading
• Physiotherapy or other hands-on treatment
• Discussion of medication
• Injection options
• Referral for an MRI scan, X-ray or blood tests
• Review by another medical or surgical specialist
• Reassurance and advice on safely returning to activity

Care from experienced MSK clinicians

Sport and Exercise Medicine consultants specialise in musculoskeletal medicine, exercise medicine and the management of sports-related conditions. Advanced MSK practitioners work at an expert level across clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning.

Our multidisciplinary team can help ensure that you are directed towards the right treatment or specialist when further care is required.

What happens during the appointment?

1. Clinical assessment

Your clinician will ask about your symptoms, how they began, what makes them better or worse and how they affect your everyday activities or sport.

They will then examine the affected area. This may include assessing movement, strength, tenderness and specific activities that reproduce your symptoms.

2. Ultrasound examination

A small amount of clear gel will be applied to your skin. The clinician will move an ultrasound probe over the area while viewing the images on a screen.

You may be asked to change position or move the affected joint so that particular structures can be examined dynamically.

An external musculoskeletal ultrasound scan is generally comfortable, although pressure over an already painful or swollen area may cause some temporary discomfort.

3. Explanation and treatment planning

Your clinician will explain the relevant findings and how they fit with your assessment. Together, you will discuss the most appropriate management plan and whether any further tests or specialist opinions are recommended.

Does an ultrasound scan show everything?

No single type of scan can identify every possible cause of musculoskeletal pain.

Ultrasound is particularly useful for examining many superficial muscles, tendons and soft tissues. However, sound waves do not travel through bone, so ultrasound cannot assess the internal structure of bones or all parts of deeper joints. MRI or X-ray imaging may be more appropriate for suspected bone injuries, certain cartilage problems, deeper joint structures or spinal conditions.

Scan findings must also be interpreted alongside your symptoms and physical examination. Some changes can be present on imaging without causing pain, while some painful conditions may not produce a clear abnormality on ultrasound.

Your clinician will therefore use the scan as one part of a complete clinical assessment.

Who might benefit from an MSK ultrasound assessment?

An assessment may be helpful when:

• Your pain or injury is not improving as expected
• A tendon, muscle or bursa problem is suspected
• Your diagnosis remains unclear after an initial assessment
• Symptoms occur during a particular movement
• Rehabilitation has not produced the expected improvement
• A clinician needs more information before recommending treatment
• You have experienced a new sporting or exercise-related injury
• Further imaging is being considered and you need advice on the best option

We do not recommend scanning every painful area as a matter of routine. Your clinician will consider whether ultrasound is clinically appropriate and whether the result is likely to influence your treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Is a musculoskeletal ultrasound scan safe?

Diagnostic ultrasound does not use ionising radiation. The NHS describes the sound waves used during ultrasound scans as safe, with no radiation exposure of the type associated with X-rays or CT scans.

Do I need a GP referral?

Please contact our team before booking. We can advise whether you can book directly with an appropriate clinician or whether an initial assessment should be arranged first.

Will I receive my results at the appointment?

Because the ultrasound is performed as part of your clinical assessment, your clinician will usually be able to discuss the relevant findings during the appointment. Where further review, reporting or additional imaging is required, they will explain what happens next.

Do I need to prepare for the scan?

Most MSK ultrasound scans require little or no preparation. Wear comfortable clothing that allows the clinician to access the area being examined and avoid applying heavy creams or oils to the area immediately before your appointment.

Is ultrasound the same as an MRI scan?

No. Ultrasound provides live images and is particularly helpful for many superficial soft-tissue structures. MRI uses a magnetic field to produce detailed images of both superficial and deeper structures.

Your clinician will recommend the investigation most likely to provide useful information about your condition.

Can ultrasound be used to guide an injection?

Ultrasound can be used to help a qualified clinician guide a needle accurately during certain joint or soft-tissue procedures. Where an injection may be appropriate, your Sport and Exercise Medicine consultant will discuss the potential benefits, risks and alternative options with you separately.

Book a musculoskeletal ultrasound assessment

Get a clearer understanding of your pain or injury without separating the scan from the clinical expertise needed to interpret it.

Our Sport and Exercise Medicine consultants and advanced practice physiotherapists provide in-house MSK ultrasound assessments at selected Back & Body Clinic locations serving Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Contact our team and we will help arrange an appointment with the most appropriate clinician and clinic.