Real-Time Insight and Care

Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI)

Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging, often called RUSI, uses real-time ultrasound feedback to help assess and retrain how your deep core muscles activate.

Book an Appointment Meet Your Team

What RUSI is

Ultrasound Imaging allows you and your physiotherapist to view certain muscles as they contract and relax. It is commonly used to help assess how the deep core muscles are working and to provide visual feedback while you learn how to engage certain muscles.

This is different from diagnostic medical imaging. RUSI is used as a rehabilitative, biofeedback tool to help guide muscle activation, movement control, and exercise retraining.

When it may be considered

RUSI may be helpful when your physiotherapist wants to better understand how your deep core muscles are functioning or help you learn how to activate them more effectively.

It is often considered for problems involving:

low back pain
pelvic health
postpartum recovery
core control
movement coordination
difficulty feeling or activating deep abdominal muscles
recovery after injury or pain

Your physiotherapist will determine whether RUSI is useful based on your assessment and goals.

Why deep core function matters

The deep core includes muscles such as transversus abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor muscles, and diaphragm. These muscles help support and control movement and control through the spine and pelvis.

After pain, injury, surgery, pregnancy, or prolonged inactivity, these muscles may not coordinate as well as they used to. General “core” exercises do not always teach the deep core muscles to activate in the way a person needs.

RUSI can help make this process easier to understand by giving you real-time visual feedback.

What to expect

During an ultrasound assessment, your physiotherapist will place ultrasound gel and a handheld ultrasound probe over the area being assessed. You may be asked to breathe, contract specific muscles, change position, or perform gentle movements while watching the screen.

Your physiotherapist can use the image to help you see whether the intended muscles are activating correctly and how your technique changes with coaching.

Treatment may include education, guided practice, breathing or core exercises, and a home program to continue building control between visits.

How RUSI fits into your care

RUSI is usually one part of a broader rehabilitation plan. It can help clarify how your muscles are working, but progress also depends on practice, exercise progression, and how the new control carries over into daily movement.

The goal is to help you understand what you are trying to activate, practise it more effectively, and build better control over time.