Spine & Rehab Specialists - April 2022

Spine & Rehab Specialists - April 2022

APRIL 2022

6358 EDGEMERE BLVD. EL PASO, TEXAS 79925 915-562-8525

11855 PHYSICIANS DR. EL PASO, TEXAS 79936 915-855-6466

FIND THE CAUSE OF YOUR PAIN IN MINUTES WITH OUR CUTTING-EDGE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS

Imagine that you walk into our clinic with an ache in your shoulder. Is it arthritis? Impingement syndrome? A sprain? A torn rotator cuff? You’re desperate to know so you can drink your coffee and drive your car in peace again. In the past, our PTs would have used PT special testing to figure out the problem and make an accurate diagnosis, or we might have referred you back to your doctor for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) if things looked bad. But today, we don’t have to rely on those methods! We have two amazing high-tech tools we can use to figure out what’s going on in just a few minutes: Our musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) and electromyography/nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) machines. Before I get into the details of how those technologies work, though, I should probably let you know who I am. My name is Anthony Durant, and I’ve been a PT at Spine & Rehab Specialists since 2016. If you’re a patient of ours you’ll probably remember me as the guy in the clinic who was always moving. On top of using MSK- US, EMG/NCS, and other tools to accurately diagnose patients as part of our PT special testing, I’m also the clinic manager at our location on Physician’s Drive. I have a wonderful wife named Paulina and a sweet baby girl, Camila, who is almost 2 years old. They keep me just as busy at home as I am in the clinic. Now, let’s get back to your hypothetical shoulder problem. The first thing you would do is chat with your PT about your pain and symptoms. That might be enough for them to guess what’s going on. If they deem it necessary, they could call me over to use the MSK-US and EMG/NCS machines to find out more. I’d use the MSK-US unit first. It’s pretty comparable to the abdominal scans used on pregnant women, except that we can apply that ultrasound technology to any part of your body to see what’s going on under the skin! If your shoulder was the problem, I’d use the machine to look at the ligaments and muscular structures there.

It’s amazing how much a small computer can tell you without the hassle and expense of an MRI. Another perk of the MSK-US unit is that it’s dynamic. With an MRI, you have to hold still, but with the MSK-US I’d actually ask you to move your shoulder so that I could see how the joint, muscles, and ligaments moved. That’s key to figuring out what is causing your pain. The ultrasound is an efficient, versatile, and quick way to see the structure of your shoulder. It basically shows me a picture of what’s happening under your skin. To figure out how well your nerves are functioning and how the muscle is working, I’d use the EMG/NCS machine. The NCS part of the tool focuses on the nerves, and the EMG part involves probing the muscle with a tiny needle. It hurts a little bit, but all of my patients have told me running both tests is well worth it to figure out whether they have a problem with the functionality of their muscles and nerves and get the most accurate care plan possible. After collecting this >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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