#472 MRI vs Ultrasound which is better for Plantar Fasciosis or Partial Rupture - DOC

#472 MRI vs Ultrasound which is better for Plantar Fasciosis or Partial Rupture

Today on the Doc on the Run Podcast, we’re talking about MRI vs Ultrasound. Which is better for Plantar Fasciosis or Partial Rupture in a runner?

Just today, I was giving a lecture at the International Foot and Ankle Foundation meeting in Hawaii. This is where doctors go to get continuing medical education credits. I was asked to give this lecture on runners heel pain, specifically about the, what we call the differential diagnosis or the things that can cause runners heel pain and the differences between runners like us and some non-runner type patients. I think there are some significant differences.

Well, at the end of that session, one of the doctors had a question, and it was a great question, this was, “What is better, MRI or ultrasound?” When you’re actually trying to get a look inside the foot at the plantar fascia to really decide if you have a tear in the plantar fascia, or what we call a partial rupture, or maybe this thing called an interstitial tear, where you actually have a tiny little tear on the inside of the fascia that you wouldn’t actually see if you were just looking at the surface of the fascia itself.

This is a good question because some doctors have ultrasound machines in their office and they can do an ultrasound right there. If they’re good at it and it helps and it’s better than the MRI, then that would obviously be more helpful for you. Some cases, MRI can be better. Sometimes ultrasound is better, but it depends on a couple of variables. What I’m going to share with you is actually the audio recording that I gave as my answer when the doctor in the audience actually asked that question, so let’s check it out now.

You can listen to the podcast episode  above to hear the full details. 

Now, hopefully the answer that I gave to that doctor can give you a little bit better perspective so that when you go to doctor and you have had plantar fascitis, and the doctor starts telling you that maybe it’s turned into plantar fasciosis, maybe it’s turned into a little tear in the fascia, an interstitial tear, a partial rupture, or some other issue that’s actually a little more serious and a lot harder to heal than just standard plantar fascitis. Then the doctor starts trying to offer you something like an MRI or an ultrasound study. You might be able to formulate some of your questions better to make sure that you’re getting the best look at the plantar fascia so that you can really decide what treatment is going to be best.

If you’re a runner with heel pain I have made something for you need to check out: learn… “Why some runners don’t get better!” 2 Reasons Plantar Fasciitis Isn’t Healing! You can watch it for free here:

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