Out and About Costa Blanca Magazine - June 2021 Issue -188

30 | OUT AND ABOUT COSTA BLANCA SIMON RATCLIFFE
ULTRASOUND IMAGING
IN PHYSIOTHERAPY
Ultrasound imaging has
technologically improved
over the last 20 years, in
a big way. The equipment that is
available today allows for a great
imaging exploration of several
areas of the body with minimal
costs in comparison with
an MRI for example.
So why is this
relevant in the world
of physiotherapy?
The answer
is simple, it is
an extra bit of
equipment
that can
help figure
out what
the problem
is when
combined
with our always
valuable physical
exploration. It also
allows us to rule out
other issues that may
need evaluating or treating by
a doctor, which can be crucial in a
speedy recovery.
There are three aspects of ultrasound
imaging to be applied in physiotherapy:
1. Improvement of clinical diagnosis (
which is what we mentioned above).
2. Injury management: This would mean
that we can explore the area during
each session and record how the tissue
is reacting and recovering with our
treatment.
3. Ultrasound-guided therapy: there
are several techniques that require
ultrasound guidance to allow
for a correct application. I
myself apply a treatment
called percutanous
electrolisis,this
allows soft tissue
injuries to recover
by applying
electrotherapy
through an
acupuncture
needle. I
then use the
ultrasound
image to guide
the needle to
the injured area
to then apply the
therapy. This would
be impossible to do
without live imaging of
the structure, the accuracy
of this technique is key and would
be a mistake to use it without image
guidance.
So in what areas or situations would we
use ultrasound imaging?
• Shoulder pain. It is very useful
Simon Ratcliffe is a licensed Physiotherapist and Certified Osteopath C.O. for the
Family Medical Centre in Albir. Contact Simon on 966 865 072 for an appointment.