Tag Archives: physical therapy

A Major Boon for Physical Therapy

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As a second-year physical therapy (PT) student, I was first introduced to ultrasound for musculoskeletal conditions in 2009.

I was immediately intrigued.Headshot

I continued to dabble in musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) for a couple of years but never really with a focus on becoming good or great at the skill, more on the emphasis of becoming more knowledgeable and comfortable with human anatomy (ie, looking at muscle pennate structure, fibrillar patterns of tendons and ligaments, and identifying what they were).

Then, in 2011, I sought out a mentor for MSK ultrasound whom I had known since PT school, Wayne Smith, who is also a physical therapist with 40 years of experience. Wayne has been doing MSKUS since 2000 and in 2011 was working at Andrews Institute with Josh Hackel in the physical therapy department.

Soon after starting the training, Wayne and I collaborated with my PT clinic owner to help create a physical medicine model combining physiatry with physical therapy; MSKUS was a large piece of this model.

We quickly realized how powerful MSKUS had become and that it had turned into a gatekeeper and point-of-care diagnostic tool. MSK ultrasound is a great adjunct to evaluating a patient at time zero and in the hands of qualified physical therapists with requisite training. MSKUS allowed the clinic to execute and expedite patient plan of care by immediately cutting out unnecessary imaging studies (MRI mainly), streamlining physical therapy plans, aiding the physician with percutaneous-ultrasound-guided needle procedures, and/or immediate referral for surgical consult or advanced imaging if needed.

At this time, the RMSK exam was not on my radar so the training was piecemeal; I made the most out of my time to train with Wayne every 6 weeks while practicing and reading Jon Jacobsen’s Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound book.

In 2014, I took on a part-time trial with an orthopedic surgeon performing MSKUS in his office as well as physical therapy services consisting of evaluation, therapeutic exercise, and home exercise prescription. This business model became very successful and super-charged my learning in MSK ultrasound because I was now able to get feedback not only with other imaging studies, such as MRI, but I was then able to synergize findings in surgery that were based on the MSKUS imaging studies (ie, bursal sided rotator cuff tear vs intrasubstance). This feedback was very valuable and accelerated my learning curve. This orthopedic clinic is now an AIUM-accredited diagnostic center in MSK ultrasound within the state of Arizona.

In the medical model or in a stand-alone outpatient physical therapy practice, incorporating orthopedic physical therapy evaluation, MSK ultrasound evaluation combined with exercise prescription is a very powerful visit for the patient. It cuts out unnecessary imaging, saving the patient money and additional timely medical visits as well as expediting the patient’s plan of care. I’ve since incorporated this business model to many other physician offices in the greater Phoenix area.

Incorporating MSKUS into physical therapy has been a major boon for the profession and for the medical community in general.

My workweek now consists 100% of performing MSKUS scans, teaching at A.T. Still University (Mesa), starting up an online MSKUS training program, and mentoring physical therapists, athletic trainers, general sonographers, and radiology technicians in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound in their preparation to take the RMSK or RMSKS certification exam.

Interested in reading more about how ultrasound can change physical therapy? Check out Carrie Pagliano’s post, Real-time Ultrasound in Physical Therapy.

Colin Thomas Rigney, PT, DPT, OCS, RMSK, is the Director of MSK Ultrasound for Physicians United as well as a member of both the Residential and Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Faculty at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, teaching courses on Radiology and Imaging for Physical Therapy students.

 

Have you incorporated musculoskeletal ultrasound in your physical therapy practice? What benefits have you experienced? Comment below, or, AIUM members, continue the conversation on Connect, the AIUM’s online community to share your experience.

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Real-time Ultrasound in Physical Therapy

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In the past 20 years, there are very few pieces of equipment I can say unequivocally changed how I practice as a physical therapist (PT); without question, real-time ultrasound (RTUS) is one. A sports/orthopedic colleague introduced RTUS to my practice 8 years ago. As a pelvic PT, I thought it would be a nice adjunct to my current practice with biofeedback, exercise, and manual techniques. I was wrong. It was a game changer. What initially started out as an exercise in interpreting black & white ink-blot-like images has evolved into so much more.Lisa-Damico-Portraits-Carrie-Pagliano-0413-LOW-RES

For those unfamiliar with pelvic floor physical therapy, typical pelvic floor assessment, without RTUS, includes an external assessment of the perineal region. Frequently, internal digital assessment is used to identify pelvic floor muscle strength, endurance, coordination, tender points, and presence of pelvic organ prolapse. Biofeedback assessment can give a general sense of local muscle activity, via either internal or external electrodes. Absent from this data collection, however, is the ability to assess function. What is the effect of pelvic floor activity on the bladder? What specific muscles in the pelvis and abdomen are activating and when? What do you do when a patient is unable to tolerate an internal assessment? RTUS addresses all of these questions. Via a transabdominal approach, I am able to assess the function of pelvic, abdominal, hip, and back musculature in the context of breath and movement. I am able to make an assessment without an internal approach, which may be threatening or uncomfortable for patients with pelvic pain. I am able to determine the function of the pelvic floor and its effect on the bladder and urethra as well.

My practice includes RTUS primarily for evaluation of movement of the pelvic floor, abdominals, hip, and spine. The primary goal is to find and address neuromuscular dysfunction in the context of urinary/fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, diastasis recti, and pelvic girdle pain. Beyond helping me identify inefficient movement strategies, coordination variances, and relevant dysfunction, RTUS has been an enormous help in educating my patients about their own bodies and how they function. I never anticipated how much a little black and white image would help patients make this connection! For example, many people have no idea where their pelvic floor is, much less what its relationship is to their bladder, pelvis, or breath. With just a quick look at the screen and a little orientation, RTUS can give patients a window into the simple yet complex connections within their own bodies.

The most striking patient activity with RTUS is using imaging to show the relationship between breath and the pelvic/abdominal region. Patients who are visual learners especially find this an invaluable tool. I use focused exhalation (cued blowing through a straw), vocalization, and varying volumes and octaves to get automatic activation of transverse abdominal and pelvic floor musculature. Patients see, in real time, the effect of their breathing (or breath-holding) strategies have on activation of muscles in the pelvic region. Patients no longer have to try to cognitively process how to turn these muscles on or off (which is laborious and practically impossible to be consistent), but rely on something as simple as breath to assist in activating or relaxing their muscles.

As you can see, RTUS provides both patients and clinicians a window into the pelvic region, providing additional insight into the patient’s function and dysfunction. Having AIUM recognize physical therapists in the AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Selected Ultrasound-Guided Procedures is an outstanding step toward including PTs in this area of practice. I’ve been privileged to work alongside physical therapists working in the area of RTUS education, facilitated diagnostics and real-time needle tracking within our profession. I’m excited that the area of pelvic physical therapy is being included in using RTUS in progressive physical therapy practice. I am looking forward to more integration of RTUS in physical therapy patient care as well as physical therapy education! The more physical therapists have knowledge and skill using this unique tool, the more comprehensive care and outcomes PTs can provide!

Have you included real-time ultrasound in your physical therapy practice? If so, how has it impacted your practice? Comment below or let us know on Twitter: @AIUM_Ultrasound.

Carrie Pagliano, PT, DPT, MTC, is a Board Certified Women’s Health & Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist and is owner of Carrie Pagliano PT, LLC, in Arlington, VA.