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Scans and tests your GP or consultant may recommend for Shoulder impingement (subacromial impingement)

This is information about which scans and tests may be used to assess Shoulder impingement (subacromial impingement), and what each one is: not a recommendation. Your clinician decides which scan or test, if any, you need. Prices below are typical UK private ranges; enter your postcode to see the NHS wait near you.

Subacromial impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain. About shoulder impingement (subacromial impingement) and NHS waits →

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Clinical assessment and physiotherapy first
Shoulder impingement is often managed without a scan, starting with an examination and physiotherapy.
Ultrasound
Often the first scan if imaging is used: it shows the tendons moving in real time and is widely available.
An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to produce live images, via a handheld probe on the skin. It uses no radiation.
How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes.
Good for: Soft tissues near the surface, tendons and muscles, the abdomen and pelvis, and anything best seen moving in real time.
Typical UK private cost: £185 to £495. Usually bookable within days.
MRI
Used for complex cases or to plan surgery. An X-ray is sometimes taken to look at the shoulder bones.
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, cartilage, discs and the brain. It uses no radiation.
How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes, lying still inside a tunnel-shaped scanner.
Good for: Soft-tissue and joint detail: ligament and cartilage injuries, the spine and discs, and the brain.
Typical UK private cost: £300 to £1145. Usually bookable within days.

Sources: NHS, Shoulder-imaging literature.

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Enter your postcode for the NHS wait at your nearest hospital and the private price range from clinics within 25 miles.

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Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. NHS waits are from DM01 diagnostics data. Nothing here is medical advice; your clinician decides which scan, if any, you need.

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