Evidence-Based Chiropractic and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Cheltenham

At West Healthcare, we combine hands-on chiropractic care with diagnostic musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound, so your treatment is based on what is actually happening in your body, not on guesswork. Our clinic is at Festival House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, and we also run ultrasound scan sessions in Gloucester.

We are led by Victoria West, a chiropractor with a Master's degree in Chiropractic and Diagnostic Ultrasound. Every plan is built around your diagnosis, your goals and the best available evidence.

Why combine ultrasound and chiropractic care?

Pain does not always come from where it hurts. A sore shoulder might be a tendon problem, a joint problem, or pain referred from your neck, and each needs a different approach. Ultrasound lets us look at the soft tissues in real time, so we can confirm or rule out a suspected cause before treatment starts. It also helps us decide when chiropractic care is appropriate and when you would be better served by another route, such as your GP, a specialist or further imaging.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound scans

MSK ultrasound uses sound waves, not radiation, to produce live images of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) around them. A scan usually takes under 15 minutes, and we talk you through what we see on screen as we go.

We scan:

  • Shoulders

  • Elbows

  • Wrists and hands

  • Knees

  • Feet and ankles

Because ultrasound is dynamic, we can also watch a tendon or joint as you move it, which a still image cannot show. Scans are a good fit for suspected tendinopathy, tears, bursitis, joint swelling and persistent pain that has not settled with treatment. Ultrasound has limits: it cannot see everything, such as deeper joint structures or bone marrow, and where a different scan such as MRI is the better test, we will tell you so. Scan consultations are free, so you can find out whether a scan is right for you before committing.

Chiropractic care tailored to you

Chiropractic care is a hands-on approach to treating muscle, joint and spinal pain. We use a range of techniques, from spinal adjustments to gentle mobilisation and soft tissue work, and we choose them to suit your condition, your preferences and your comfort. Treatment is combined with advice and exercises you can use at home, because lasting change rarely comes from the treatment table alone.

We regularly help people with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headaches and migraine, sports injuries, shoulder and ankle problems, tendinopathy and hypermobility, and we offer specialist care in pregnancy. Read more on our conditions we treat page.

What "evidence-based" means at West Healthcare

Evidence-based care means combining three things: the best available research, clinical expertise, and your own values and preferences. In practice, that means:

We diagnose before we treat.

A thorough history, examination and, where useful, an ultrasound scan come first.

We follow current guidance.

For example, NICE guidance for low back pain and sciatica supports manual therapy only as part of a wider package of care that includes exercise, so that is how we use it.

We keep you informed.

We explain your findings, the options, the likely benefits and the risks in plain English, and you decide.

We measure progress.

We track your pain, movement and function against the goals you set, and review your plan if you are not improving as expected.

We refer on when needed.

If something needs a GP, specialist or further tests, we will say so and help arrange it.