HEALTH
In orthopedics, the use of injections, specifically cortisone injections, are common and can be one of the first treatment options. Injections are administered throughout the body including the shoulder, knee, hip, ankle etc. The area can be specified to a joint, tendon, or ligament. Providers are well educated on human anatomy and can identify areas by just looking at a patient. But now, we have the ability to directly visualize areas of concentration with use of portable ultrasound machines. There are several injections that your orthopedic provider can administer without use of the ultrasound most commonly, the knee joint. For other areas such as, the shoulder and hip joint, the ultrasound is used to precisely identify the joint. Use of the ultrasound requires training and repetitive use. Not all providers use the ultrasound, many will refer the patient to another provider or an outside facility. Here, at Ortho Rhode Island, we are fortunate to have several providers that are skilled in the use of the ultrasound and are able to provide these services to our patients. Whether you need an ultrasound guided injection is up to the discretion of your provider but you can ask about the use of one the next time you need an injection.
