Providence chiropractor contributes to RMSK exam review

Dr. Mark Mulak of Cityside Chiropractic completed volunteer review work for the Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography credential, highlighting how in-office ultrasound can support injury evaluation and specialist referral. The work underscores the growing role of point-of-care imaging in personal-injury care in Rhode Island.

Why it matters: - Point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound can give injured patients objective findings during an initial visit instead of waiting for advanced imaging. - In personal-injury cases, that can speed decisions on MRI, orthopedic referral, neurologic evaluation, or continued conservative care. - The approach also creates documentation that supports clinical decision-making when injuries follow a collision.

What happened: - Providence chiropractor Dr. Mark Mulak of Cityside Chiropractic completed volunteer examination review work for the Registered in Musculoskeletal® Sonography (RMSK®) credential. - The review work involved evaluating exam items used to assess knowledge in musculoskeletal sonography. - Dr. Mulak holds the RMSK® credential and has about 25 years of clinical experience. - His practice focuses on personal-injury, motor-vehicle collision, and workers' compensation cases. - His case mix includes whiplash-associated disorders, cervical injury, concussion screening, and objective injury documentation.

The details: - Cityside Chiropractic uses ultrasound to evaluate selected tendon, muscle, ligament, and other superficial soft-tissue injuries. - A patient with shoulder pain, weakness, or loss of function after a collision may be evaluated for a rotator-cuff injury during the first visit. - Point-of-care ultrasound can show the affected tendon before the patient waits for advanced imaging or specialist consultation. - When findings are significant, they can help guide timely MRI and orthopedic referral. - Dr. Mulak said musculoskeletal ultrasound gives clinicians another way to evaluate certain soft-tissue injuries directly in the office when it is clinically appropriate. - Dr. Mulak said the goal is to gather useful objective information efficiently and determine the next step for the patient. - Dr. Mulak said that next step may be continued conservative care, MRI, referral to an orthopedist, neurologist, or another specialist, or a change in the direction of care. - Cityside Chiropractic uses ultrasound alongside neurologic screening, concussion assessment, balance testing, cervical injury evaluation, rehabilitation, and coordination with outside medical specialists when findings warrant.

Between the lines: - The emphasis on objective documentation reflects the needs of injury cases where multiple complaints may follow the same collision. - Early recognition of findings that need more workup can affect both treatment planning and continuity of care. - The practice positions ultrasound as a triage tool, not a replacement for MRI, orthopedic consultation, neurologic evaluation, or other specialty services. - Dr. Mulak's background spans sports medicine, rehabilitation, injury management, and musculoskeletal sonography. - He also holds the DACBSP®, DACRB, and DAIPM credentials and is a Certified ImPACT Provider. - Dr. Mulak wrote The Objective Injury Model: A Plaintiff Attorney's Guide to Objective Documentation in Motor Vehicle Injury Cases.

What's next: - Cityside Chiropractic is likely to continue using ultrasound with neurologic screening, concussion assessment, balance testing, and specialist coordination when clinically appropriate. - The practice will keep applying objective findings to decide when patients need MRI or referral to outside specialists. - More information is available on Dr. Mulak's LinkedIn profile and Instagram page.

The bottom line: - Dr. Mulak's RMSK review role highlights how office-based musculoskeletal ultrasound is becoming a more important tool in injury evaluation, especially in collision-related care.