Having been through residency and fellowship training and annual stints in the cadaver lab, physical therapist Dr. James Escaloni, RMSK, thought he knew anatomy. He only realized what he had been missing when he started incorporating musculoskeletal sonography into his regular practice. 

Now that I have this information, I’ve got a greater depth of understanding, so I feel more confident as a clinician, and especially as an educator,” says Dr. Escaloni. 

After his interest in sonography was piqued while watching an ultrasound-guided treatment about five years ago, Dr. Escaloni dedicated himself to achieving his RMSK (Registered in Musculoskeletal sonography) certification and now uses ultrasound daily at his chronic pain management practice “to provide the specificity that’s missing from my clinical exam.” 

He relies on the real-time, dynamic imaging of ultrasound instead of MRI and X-rays to reveal a patient’s specific cause of pain. “The benefit of ultrasound is that you can actually have the person who you just tested, in front of you; you’ve just poked them on that spot, and they say, “That is the pain. That’s the spot.””

In addition to identifying the cause of chronic pain, Dr. Escaloni uses ultrasound to guide his dry-needling procedures and monitor progress over weeks of treatment. 

There’s been a revolution in physical therapy with dry needling,” he says. “It started as a fringe thing, nobody was doing it, and then all these people were getting these amazing outcomes, and then, all of a sudden, 10 years later, it’s taught in all the PT (physical therapy) schools. Everybody does it, and if you’re not doing that as part of your practice, then you’re not the best clinician.” 

Although he had access to a cart-based system at his clinic, James primarily uses his Clarius HD3 wireless ultrasound scanner, especially during a busy day when he carries it in his pocket to use with his phone. 

The Clarius system has got a very good image, especially for more superficial tissues and the Clarius voice control features are a fantastic thing for me in the office. It helps me maintain a clean area; I can use voice-activated settings to change the gain and needle mode as I need it. Clarius ultrasound has helped me deliver the best patient care, because I’m able to track outcomes with my patients and show them we’re making progress.” 

For those interested in the rigorous scientific research and high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that Dr. Escaloni and his team have accomplished, you can explore their findings here. Watch this 4-minute video to learn more about Dr. Escaloni’s experience with Clarius. 

Watch Webinar for Practical Tips from Two Physiotherapists  

Join us for a one-hour webinar with Dr. James Escaloni and Dr. Ian Young to learn their practical tips for using ultrasound to improve physical therapy outcomes. 

Dr. Ian Young, DSc, PT, Dip. Osteopractic, is a physical therapist & founder and owner of Tybee Wellness & Osteopractic in Tybee Island, GA. He has been practicing full-time in orthopedics and sports for the last 27 years.  Dr. Young is senior faculty within the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (AAMT) Fellowships in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy & Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography.  

Dr. James Escaloni, DPT, FAAOMPT, Dip. Osteopractic, serves as a physical therapist and movement specialist at Wellward Regenerative Medicine in Lexington, KY. He is board-certified, residency, and fellowship trained in orthopedics. In addition to identifying the cause of pain in the most complex patients, Dr. Escaloni teaches around the world on topics like differential diagnosis and manual therapies. 

2-Minute Video: USG Dry Needling of the Supraspinatus

Watch Dr. Escaloni’s technique for dry-needling the supraspinatus tendon using the Clarius L15 HD3.

Take the Guesswork Out of Pain management with Clarius Ultrasound 

Recognized for the best imaging quality among handheld systems, Clarius HD3 is affordable and easy to use. Now with new features like T-Mode AI and MSK AI, Clarius ultrasound is even easier to learn.

Enhance your skills by attending in-person courses offered by the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy, where Clarius scanners are used to teach diagnostic MSK ultrasonography and ultrasound-guided dry-needling

Discover more about Clarius for MSK or Pain Management and book a personal virtual demonstration when you’re ready to discuss options for your practice.