Diagnostic Ultrasound Scan
At Happy Feet, we decided to invest in a Diagnostic Ultrasound Machine in 2019, so that we can continue to offer the very best and most innovative services in Podiatric care for our patients.
Gareth is one of only 4 podiatrists in Northern Ireland undertaking his CASE accreditation for diagnostic ultrasound. This qualification is the Gold standard for health professionals using ultrasound in a diagnostic capacity. We believe that diagnostic ultrasound is essential for ensuring our musculoskeletal patients receive effective treatment, as quick as possible.
Our new machine has made a huge difference to the effectiveness of the treatments we provide and allowed us to provide our injections under guidance for better accuracy and results. It has helped us to identify a wide range of foot and ankle problems which would have otherwise been near impossible to diagnose.
It is also sometimes referred to as a ‘Musculoskeletal Ultrasound’, which simply means that it produces pictures of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints within particular areas of the body. It is an imaging technique that is particularly useful when identifying lower limb related conditions, such as:
- Achilles tendonitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Heel spurs
- Torn tendons
- Ligament injuries
- Stress fractures
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Foot or ankle-based Arthritis
- Bursitis or capsulitis
What are the main reasons to get a foot ultrasound?
Diagnostic foot ultrasounds are performed for a variety of reasons, from minor issues, such as pain and discomfort, to more serious problems, like tumours and cancers. An ultrasound scan of the foot can help identify a number of issues. They can even spot arthritis in the foot and ankle, due to the swelling and inflammation that the condition causes.
Here are a few other problems that foot scans can help detect:
- Tears
- Discomfort
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Reduced Movement
- Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Plantar Fibromatosis
- Plantar Fibroma
- Arthritis
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Tumours and Cancers
What are the benefits of ultrasound vs. MRI and CT scans?
Ultrasounds are the cheapest, easiest and quickest of the imaging solutions. CT (Computerised Tomography) scans and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans offer higher quality and better detailed images, but they are a lot less available and MUCH more expensive than using an ultrasound. Due to the safety of ultrasound, this is often the best form of imaging to start with and will help decide if an MRI or CT scan will be required to help with the diagnosis.
Plus, since images are captured in real-time during an ultrasound, they can show the movement of the body’s internal organs and blood vessels.
The biggest benefit to ultrasound is the ability to test muscles/tendons dynamically. This allows an accurate way to detect small tears or small joint changes only seen during movement of the joint, something MRI and CT cannot do.
Reach Us
If you have any enquiries please contact us:
Happy Feet Foot Clinic
22 Northland Row
Dungannon
Co. Tyrone
BT71 6AP
028 8775 0453
Please call us for further information and guidance prior to calling your insurance company.