Why Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Is So Powerful for Football Players

Football Is a Moving Sport. Injuries Need Moving Images.

Sprinting. Cutting. Tackling. Blocking. Throwing. Landing. Football puts tremendous stress on the body, and many injuries only become apparent when the athlete moves in the position that causes pain.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) allows the injured area to be examined in real time and in motion. Instead of looking only at a still image, the examiner can watch tendons glide, muscles contract, ligaments respond to stress, and nerves move through surrounding tissues.

From the Shoulder to the Ankle

Football injuries can affect almost every part of the body. MSK ultrasound can be particularly helpful in evaluating soft-tissue injuries involving the:

- Shoulder and rotator cuff

- Biceps and pectoral tendons

- Elbow and wrist

- Hamstrings and quadriceps

- Knee and surrounding ligaments

- Calf and Achilles tendon

- Ankle and foot

- Peripheral nerves

For a quarterback with shoulder pain, a receiver with a hamstring injury, or a player whose ankle hurts when cutting, ultrasound allows the painful area to be evaluated while recreating the movement that causes symptoms.

Before He Ever Picks Up the Probe

Michael Jablon, expert in MSK ultrasound imaging, begins the examination with the patient, not the image.

At the heart of the Jablon Protocol is something technology can't replace -- the human connection.  Michael listens, examines, and observes how your body moves and where it hurts before ever picking up the probe.  The ultrasound then becomes an extension of that examination, allowing him to see in real time what his clinical evaluation has already begun to uncover.

 That combination of history, physical examination, and dynamic imaging can provide a more complete picture of what may be causing the athlete’s pain.

Fast Answers When Athletes Need Them

MSK ultrasound provides detailed imaging without requiring the athlete to lie inside an MRI scanner. Findings can be viewed during the examination, and the injured area can be evaluated from different angles and during movement.

Ultrasound can also be used to monitor healing over time and, when an ultrasound-guided procedure is appropriate, allows the physician to visualize the target and needle in real time.

Safe. Dynamic. No Radiation.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and uses no radiation. For football players, its ability to examine the body dynamically makes it an especially valuable tool for evaluating many sports-related soft-tissue injuries.

Football injuries happen in motion. Sometimes the best way to understand them is to watch them in motion.

Have a Football Injury That Needs a Closer Look?

Contact Orthopedic Ultrasound, Inc., Center for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, to learn whether an MSK ultrasound may be appropriate for your injury.

949.229.7377

Westlake Village, California