The Orthopaedic Institute is proud to provide a broad range of the most advanced sports medicine and orthopaedic treatments available. Our specialty physicians are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care and helping our patients live a pain-free life. Alyssa E. Heinrich, MD, from our Summerfield and Brownwood offices, specializes in using musculoskeletal ultrasound in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities. This allows her to offer a variety of treatment options, including ultrasound-guided injections.

What are Ultrasound-guided Injections?

Ultrasound-guided injections are a minimally invasive procedure used to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Arthritis
• Hip impingement
• Shoulder impingement
• And more

The ultrasound allows the physician to see the joint or tissue being injected in real-time, ensuring accuracy and minimizing the risk of complications. Injections can be used to deliver medication, such as cortisone, local anesthetics and hyaluronic acid, directly to the affected area, providing relief from pain and inflammation.

In some cases, the injection alone can provide sufficient relief from pain and inflammation. However, at other times, the injection can be used in conjunction with physical therapy or other forms of treatment, including orthopaedic surgery, if necessary.

Diagnostic Ultrasound

In addition to being used as a tool for interventions and procedures, such as injections, the ultrasound can also be used for diagnostic purposes in the clinic. When used to evaluate the musculoskeletal system, ultrasound may help to identify the root cause of pain or dysfunction. Ultrasound can identify certain conditions that affect the soft tissue such as:

• Chronic tendinitis (tendinopathy)
• Tears
• Fluid in the joint (effusion)
• And more

Ultrasound cannot penetrate through bone. While not always necessary for diagnosis, ultrasound can be useful to support diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. 

Get to the Bottom of Your Joint Pain

If you experience musculoskeletal pain, schedule an appointment with Dr. Heinrich at The Orthopaedic Institute. She will work with you to develop a detailed diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment for your needs and lifestyle, whether that includes ultrasound-guided injections or another form of therapy. Click here to learn more about Dr. Heinrich and request an appointment today.

Dr. Heinrich is board certified in family medicine and fellowship trained in sports medicine. She specializes in the non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions. Dr. Heinrich enjoys working with patients of all ages to help them stay active.

Through her fellowship training, Dr. Heinrich has significant experience utilizing musculoskeletal ultrasound in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, which allows her to offer a variety of treatment options. Her most common procedures include steroid injections (joint, tendon sheath, perineural), viscosupplementation, and orthobiologics. She finds it very gratifying to leverage technology and medicine to help patients get back to doing what they love.