Diagnostic Ultrasound
Ten years ago, if you sprained your ankle on a run, injured your knee hiking, or felt pain in your shoulder after playing with your child, you would likely have been referred for an X-ray or MRI. Today, in every modern healthcare system, ultrasound has become the first-line method for accurate musculoskeletal diagnosis.
Thanks to advances in technology and education—along with key benefits such as no radiation exposure, lower cost compared to MRI, and the ability to view real-time movement of structures—ultrasound is now widely used as a primary tool for diagnosing joint and sports-related injuries.
Still, not every clinic offers this level of diagnostic precision. Performing musculoskeletal ultrasound requires extensive training and experience to fully unlock its potential. In Serbia, its use remains limited. That’s why we are proud to offer this expertise in our clinic, where exams are performed by Dr. Goran Rodić—a globally recognized specialist and one of the pioneers of ultrasound diagnostics for soft tissue injuries affecting tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints.
What Is an Ultrasound?
Ultrasound, or sonography, is a medical imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize structures inside the body. While most commonly associated with monitoring pregnancy, ultrasound is also highly effective for visualizing soft tissues that cannot be seen on X-rays—especially muscles, tendons, and ligaments—providing dynamic, real-time imaging.
Beyond being safe and comfortable for patients, ultrasound has become a reliable diagnostic tool, standing alongside MRI in accuracy for many musculoskeletal conditions. It is particularly useful for identifying soft tissue injuries, detecting fluid in joints, assessing capsule thickening, and distinguishing between acute and chronic inflammation.
It allows patients to get a diagnosis faster, plan treatment immediately, and accelerate the path to recovery.
What to Expect During an Ultrasound Exam at Our Clinic
Why Choose Diagnostic Ultrasound?
Real-Time Results
Ultrasound offers immediate feedback. If a problem is detected during the exam, we can show it to you on the screen right away and begin discussing treatment options. Unlike X-rays or MRIs, which capture static images at a single moment in time, ultrasound provides dynamic imaging—allowing us to observe anatomy in motion. For example, if your arm or leg hurts during a specific movement, we can actually see how your muscles, tendons, or ligaments behave in real time as they move.
Minimally Invasive and Radiation-Free
Ultrasound relies on sound waves to create images, meaning there’s no exposure to radiation as with X-rays. This makes it safe for repeated or prolonged use when needed. Unlike MRI, ultrasound doesn’t involve magnetic fields, making it a safer option for patients with pacemakers or metal implants.
Streamlined and Convenient
Unlike many other musculoskeletal imaging methods, ultrasound can often provide all the necessary insights in a single visit—no need to schedule additional appointments or travel to other offices. It’s especially helpful for diagnosing injuries in hard-to-visualize tissues and avoids the discomfort of lying in an MRI machine or awkward positioning for X-rays.
Cost-Effective
Ultrasound is typically more affordable than other forms of diagnostic imaging, yet it often provides all the information needed for an accurate diagnosis and treatment planning—making it a smart, efficient choice for both patients and healthcare providers.
What Conditions Can Be Diagnosed with Ultrasound?
Shoulder
Inflammation of the tendons surrounding the shoulder joint, degenerative changes involving bursae, cartilage damage in the shoulder joint and in the joint between the clavicle and scapula, tendon injuries in the shoulder area (excluding the rotator cuff and biceps tendon), as well as conditions affecting the deltoid muscle.
Knee
Jumper’s knee, conditions affecting the patellar ligament, collateral ligaments, posterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, fat pad, synovial membrane, joint capsule (including potential damage), presence of loose bodies (“joint mice”), and cysts
Foot and ankle
Ligament injuries, tendon assessment (inflammation, tears, ruptures), bursitis around the Achilles tendon, inflammation or damage to the plantar fascia, joint effusion in the ankle (synovial fluid, blood, foreign body), urate deposits in gout, etc.
Elbow
Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, injuries involving the olecranon bursa (“student’s elbow”), and detection of inflammation, fluid accumulation, etc.
Wrist and hand
Ligaments, tendons, muscle bellies at the wrist root, and extensor/flexor muscle groups of the fingers (De Quervain’s syndrome).
What Are the Limitations of Ultrasound?
There are certain situations where ultrasound may not provide all the necessary information. Sound waves do not pass easily through dense structures, which can limit visibility. For example, while ultrasound is excellent for viewing the surface of bones, joints, and surrounding soft tissues, it cannot penetrate bone. To examine the internal structure of a bone or the inside of a joint, additional imaging such as X-ray or MRI may be required.
Despite these limitations, ultrasound remains the best first-line option when a clinical exam suggests the issue lies in muscles, tendons, or other soft tissues. It helps patients avoid unnecessary radiation, reduce costs, receive a faster diagnosis and treatment plan, and return more quickly to normal daily activities.
Meet Dr. Goran Rodić
Dr. Goran Rodić is a globally recognized expert with over 30 years of experience in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade in 1983 and completed his specialization in physical medicine and rehabilitation in 1988. At the age of 30, he became head of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Clinical Center of Serbia—the youngest person to ever hold that position.
Dr. Rodić spent 11 years with FK Partizan as the club’s first full-time physician. He has also served as a sports medicine doctor for football clubs in China, as well as in Saudi Arabia where he provided medical care to members of the royal family.
For more than two decades, he has worked as a doctor at the National Theatre in Belgrade. He also spent eight years as the resident physician at the Terazije Theatre and six years with the national ensemble “Kolo.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Rodić has gained extensive expertise through decades of training and clinical work across hospitals, institutions, and sports organizations both in Serbia and abroad. His focus includes diagnosing and treating complex injuries and conditions affecting the joints, joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and meniscus, particularly those stemming from rheumatological and degenerative processes.
He is also one of the pioneers of ultrasound diagnostics in physiatry in Serbia and is regarded as a leading authority in the field.
Following a thorough diagnosis, we develop a personalized treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
Once an accurate diagnosis is made, we develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your condition, needs, and goals. The focus is on restoring function, reducing pain, and addressing the root cause—whether it’s an injury, a chronic condition, or post-surgical recovery.
Depending on the diagnosis and clinical findings, your treatment plan may include manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, physical modalities (such as ultrasound, electrotherapy, or laser therapy), and other specialized techniques.
Our goal is to achieve the best possible results in the shortest amount of time, using the most effective and comfortable approach. Thanks to our decades of experience, advanced technology, and complete dedication to every patient, we are able to avoid surgery in up to 80% of cases—while achieving the same or even better outcomes. At the same time, we reduce the need for medication and help you recover faster. In fact, our patients tend to recover up to 30% faster than average.
We apply a wide range of therapeutic modalities that are an essential part of comprehensive physiatric care.
Therapies We Offer
Magnetic Therapy
Magnetic therapy is a physiotherapy method that uses static or pulsed magnetic fields to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects are especially helpful in managing conditions such as osteoarthritis, tendinitis, and muscle spasms.
Magnetic therapy supports the body’s natural healing processes and aids in the repair of damaged tissue, particularly in sports injuries and postoperative rehabilitation. By improving circulation in the affected area, it enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients essential for tissue regeneration. In addition, magnetic fields help strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and support better nerve conduction.
We apply various magnetotherapy techniques, including static magnets embedded in braces and bandages, PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) devices, and full-body magnetotherapy systems.
Read more about Magnetic therapy
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a highly effective physiotherapy treatment that helps relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and accelerate tissue healing. It uses monochromatic, coherent light precisely directed at the affected area. The energy is absorbed by the cells, triggering biological processes that support healing and tissue regeneration.
One of the key advantages of laser therapy is its ability to penetrate deep into tissue and directly influence cellular activity. It promotes the release of endorphins, improves circulation, and enhances the production of ATP—the primary source of energy for cells.
Laser therapy is effective in treating a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including osteoarthritis, tendinopathies (such as tennis elbow and Achilles tendinopathy), muscle strains and sprains, neuropathic pain (including sciatica and neuropathy), as well as promoting wound healing and reducing scarring.
At Dr. Rodić’s clinic, we use advanced laser technology that allows us to tailor every treatment to the specific needs of each individual patient.
Read more about Laser Therapy
Ultrasound Therapy
Ultrasound therapy is a widely used method in physiotherapy that offers a range of benefits for patients seeking pain relief, reduced inflammation, and faster tissue healing.
The thermal effects of ultrasound waves improve circulation and help relax muscle spasms, providing effective relief from pain and discomfort. The deep heat generated by ultrasound loosens tight muscles and improves flexibility and mobility, making it especially helpful for conditions such as frozen shoulder, joint stiffness, and muscle contractures.
In addition to its thermal effects, ultrasound therapy also has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce swelling and inflammation. This makes it particularly useful in treating conditions like tendinitis, bursitis, and arthritis.
Both the mechanical and thermal effects of ultrasound promote the healing of damaged muscles, tendons, and ligaments by stimulating the formation of new blood vessels and enhancing collagen production. Improved circulation brings more oxygen and nutrients to the affected area, which supports tissue regeneration and helps shorten recovery time.
We use ultrasound therapy to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including sprains, strains, tendinitis, bursitis, arthritis, and to break down scar tissue or support the healing of surgical wounds. It is often combined with manual therapies and therapeutic exercises to achieve the best possible results.
Explore the Benefits of Ultrasound Therapy
Electrotherapy
Electrotherapy is one of the most commonly used methods in physiotherapy. It uses electrical currents to stimulate nerves, muscles, and tissues throughout the body. This method is applied in the treatment of a wide range of conditions affecting the locomotor system, including chronic pain, neurological disorders, and muscle spasms. It also plays an important role in rehabilitation after stroke, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal trauma, as well as in treating muscle weakness, atrophy, and wound healing.
Types of Electrotherapy We Use:
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
Delivers low-intensity electrical currents to stimulate nerves and reduce pain.
EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation)
Delivers controlled impulses to the muscles, triggering contractions that strengthen muscles and enhance circulation.
IFC (Interferential Current Therapy)
Applies multiple intersecting currents to create a therapeutic, low-frequency signal deep within the body, helping reduce pain and relax muscles.
Galvanic Stimulation
Uses continuous direct current to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and support tissue regeneration.
HVES (High-Voltage Electrical Stimulation)
Delivers short bursts of high-voltage current that stimulate muscle contractions and improve blood flow and tissue oxygenation.
One of the key advantages of electrotherapy is that it is a non-invasive, drug-free method of managing pain and improving muscle function. It can speed up recovery and, in some cases, help patients avoid or postpone surgery.
Discover How Electrotherapy Can Help
Kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy is one of the most commonly used physical therapy methods. It involves therapeutic exercises and guided movement aimed at improving muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual needs of the patient and can be used to treat various musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain, and neurological disorders.
It is especially recommended for patients recovering after surgery, as it helps restore movement and reduce the risk of complications such as thrombosis, respiratory infections, contractures, and general physical deconditioning.
After certain illnesses, surgeries, or injuries, muscle strength often weakens and joint mobility decreases. In these cases, patients may experience pain and be unable to move the joint through its full range.
Kinesitherapy is also effective in cases of back pain, joint pain, limited mobility following trauma, or posture-related issues, as well as other musculoskeletal disorders.
Read More About Kinesitherapy
Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage is an essential part of physiotherapy treatment plans, especially for patients recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic pain. Its main goal is to help restore or improve overall physical function.
Massage helps relieve pain by reducing muscle tension, improving circulation, and stimulating the release of endorphins. It also enhances joint mobility and muscle flexibility, reduces inflammation, helps flush out lactic acid and other metabolic waste, and promotes the body’s natural healing processes.
Physiotherapists apply various massage techniques, including Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and sports massage. These are often combined with other physiotherapy methods such as therapeutic exercises, electrotherapy, ultrasound, or joint mobilization for optimal results.
Therapeutic massage is a valuable, non-invasive, and effective way to reduce pain, restore function, and support overall well-being.
Phototherapy
Phototherapy, or light therapy, is an innovative physiotherapy method that uses specific wavelengths of light to accelerate tissue healing, reduce pain and inflammation, and enhance overall rehabilitation outcomes.
It is especially effective for relieving pain in conditions such as osteoarthritis, tendinitis, and neuropathic pain. Phototherapy reduces inflammation by blocking inflammatory mediators, supports tissue regeneration by stimulating ATP and collagen production, and increases circulation—delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the treated area.
There are various types of phototherapy. For example, LLLT (low-level laser therapy) uses low-intensity light to activate cellular processes and stimulate tissue repair. MIRE therapy uses infrared light to boost circulation and promote deeper healing. Ultraviolet therapies, such as UVB and PUVA, are commonly used for skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema
Phototherapy is a completely non-invasive, safe, and effective alternative to medication and invasive procedures. It is used to treat musculoskeletal injuries, osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, wound healing, and skin conditions. The decision to include phototherapy in your treatment plan is made in consultation with a qualified physical therapist. It is often combined with other therapies to improve outcomes and speed up recovery.
Read More About Phototherapy
Joint Puncture
Joint puncture, or arthrocentesis, is a medical procedure in which a needle is inserted into a joint to remove fluid (aspiration) or inject medication. It is used both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
This procedure may be indicated to determine the cause of joint effusion (e.g., infection), assess the condition of the joint structures (e.g., meniscus or cartilage damage), relieve swelling and pain by removing excess fluid, or to administer medication such as antibiotics, corticosteroids, or pain relievers directly into the joint.
The procedure begins with cleaning and disinfecting the skin. A long, thin needle is then carefully inserted into the joint space, and either fluid is withdrawn with a syringe or medication is injected. Commonly treated joints include the shoulder (subacromial bursa), hip (trochanteric bursa), elbow (olecranon bursa), and knee.
When performed by an experienced professional, joint puncture is considered a safe procedure. Mild discomfort may occur, such as temporary pain, swelling, or minor bruising.
Joint puncture is effective in reducing inflammation and pain, accelerating recovery, and providing valuable diagnostic insights—especially when other treatment methods are not sufficient.
Read More About Joint Puncture
Relief Begins With the Right Diagnosis
Early and accurate detection of the underlying cause is the first step toward effective treatment and a faster recovery.
