Updated September 13, 2026.

Therapeutic ultrasound should not be presented as a proven way to speed healing of rotator cuff tendinopathy. It is also different from the diagnostic ultrasound scan a clinician may use to examine a tendon.

What do current guidelines recommend?

The 2025 rotator-cuff tendinopathy guideline in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy recommends against therapeutic ultrasound for reducing pain and disability in adults with either calcific or noncalcific rotator cuff tendinopathy. That recommendation applies whether ultrasound is used by itself or added to an active rehabilitation program.

This guidance concerns a specific treatment and diagnosis. It does not mean every use of ultrasound in shoulder care is the same, or that an imaging test has no value. It does mean that a general promise of faster tendon healing is not an adequate reason to choose therapeutic ultrasound.

How is diagnostic ultrasound different?

A diagnostic ultrasound scan produces images of soft tissues. It can help evaluate the rotator cuff as part of a clinical assessment. AAOS explains the role of ultrasound and MRI in examining rotator cuff tears. Imaging is used to answer a diagnostic question; it is not the same as applying ultrasound as a rehabilitation treatment.

Ask how each treatment contributes to your goals

Before agreeing to a proposed treatment, ask what it is intended to change and how that change will be measured. For example, a plan might track your ability to reach a cupboard, dress comfortably, or return to a work task. A machine being used during a visit is not itself evidence of progress.

• Is this ultrasound for imaging or for treatment?
• What diagnosis are we treating?
• What evidence supports this option for that diagnosis?
• What alternatives are available?
• When will we reassess whether the plan is helping?

Discuss your shoulder-care plan

Bring prior imaging results and details of treatments you have tried to an evaluation. If you have had shoulder surgery, bring the surgeon’s restrictions as well. The clinician can explain how the proposed plan fits your symptoms, goals, and stage of recovery.

For appointment information at Wichita Physical Therapy Group, contact our east or west Wichita clinic or call (316) 358-9942. You can also meet our physical therapy team.