Using ultrasound to demystify chronic pain
By Patricia Delzell, M.D., Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine Consultants, Inc.
When trying to diagnose musculoskeletal pain, doctors may order an MRI or a CT scan, which often do not reveal the true problem. That’s because these are non-dynamic tests, meaning they do not show your tissues in motion. In fact, you are instructed to lie perfectly still.
An ultrasound, however, is an ideal tool for looking at soft tissue at and around areas of chronic pain because we can watch your tissues in motion, allowing us to see underlying problems that may be the true source of your pain.
For example, muscle pain can actually be caused by fascia (thin connective tissue) constraining the muscle and causing it to strain. In addition, I often see patients who come in with pain in the buttocks only to discover that the pain is being caused by a problem with lower back muscles causing strain in the gluteus maximus. The reverse is also true: lower back pain can be caused by your glutes not working properly.
This concept of one part of the body affecting another part during movement is known as the kinetic chain, and we can see this complex system clearly using today’s high spatial resolution ultrasounds.
Plus, a lot of muscles are in layers, making physical exam difficult to delineate which muscles are working correctly and which ones are not. In order to see these imbalances you have to move them and watch them contract. This is not possible with x-rays, MRIs and CT scans.
Here are just three common scenarios where Advanced MMC’s diagnostic ultrasound may be helpful in pinpointing the true cause of your pain:
1. Chronic neck or back muscle pain for which injections do not provide long-term relief.
2. Chronic hip pain that doesn’t go away even after years of physical therapy.
3. Perpetual knots in muscles that never seem to go away.
Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine Consultants is at 8398 Kinsman Road in Novelty, Ohio. To schedule a complimentary Chronic Pain Phone Consultation, call 440-557-5011. Visit AdvancedMMC.com for more information, including blogs and videos.