What is point-of-care ultrasound used for?

A clinician moves a handheld probe over the skin to create moving images using sound waves. In musculoskeletal care, this can help assess tendons, muscles, ligaments, joint fluid, swelling, and some surface changes. The clinician can compare sides or watch a structure move. The scan is focused on the clinical question and may help decide whether further imaging, observation, or treatment is appropriate. It does not replace every type of scan, and deeper or complex findings may need another test.

Wear clothing that allows access to the painful area and explain where symptoms occur, including which movements trigger them. The clinician may ask you to move while the probe is in place. If an injection is planned, ultrasound can help visualise the target and nearby structures during needle placement. Follow the aftercare instructions for the procedure, not just the scan itself.

Ultrasound is an assessment tool, so urgent symptoms still need prompt medical attention. Seek urgent help for sudden limb weakness, a cold or discoloured extremity, severe swelling after an injury, or loss of bladder or bowel control. After an injection, seek advice for increasing redness, fever, severe pain, or new weakness.

What structure are you assessing, and what can this scan answer? Will the result change my treatment today? If an injection is planned, what medicine is being used and what aftercare should I follow?