Private Hand Ultrasound Scan in London
Trigger finger caught in the act, tendon sheaths assessed and lumps in the palm identified — all watched in real time as the fingers move.
- 30-minute appointment — unhurried, where most clinics allow 20
- Fingers watched in motion, so catching is seen as it happens
- Lumps in the palm characterised, not guessed at
- Findings at the scan; written report usually within two hours
- No GP referral required — self-refer today
CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers
What is a hand ultrasound scan?
A hand ultrasound examines the flexor tendons that bend your fingers, the pulleys that hold them close to the bone, the tendon sheaths, the small joints, and any lump in the palm or fingers. Everything sits directly under the probe, which makes the hand excellent ultrasound territory.
Its real advantage here is motion. Trigger finger is a mechanical problem — a thickened tendon catching on a narrowed pulley — and it can be watched happening as you bend and straighten the finger. A still image shows the anatomy; ultrasound shows the mechanism.
Why might I need a hand scan?
Most people come with a finger that clicks, catches or locks, often worst in the morning and sometimes needing the other hand to straighten it. That is trigger finger, and it is a clinical diagnosis — we would rather say so plainly than imply a scan is a required step.
Where a scan genuinely helps: when the picture does not fit, when a lump in the palm needs characterising, when a finger is drawing into the palm without catching, or when someone wants to know what they are dealing with before an injection or surgery.
- A finger that clicks, catches or locks
- A tender nodule at the base of a finger on the palm side
- A lump in the palm or on a finger
- A finger drawing gradually into the palm
- Pain and swelling around the tendon sheaths
- A picture that does not fit the usual trigger finger story
- Flexor tendons and the first annular pulley
- Tendon thickening and the catching mechanism, watched in motion
- Fluid within the tendon sheaths
- Nodules and lumps, characterised as cyst, ganglion or solid
- The small finger joints as far as they resolve
- The other hand for comparison where it helps
A finger that becomes swollen, red and severely painful — particularly after a cut or bite, held slightly bent and agonising to straighten — needs same-day hospital assessment. Hand infections spread along tendon sheaths quickly. Go to A&E rather than booking a scan.
Is this scan suitable for me?
A hand ultrasound is a good fit if any of these sound like you:
- ✓Your finger catches or locks and you want it confirmed
- ✓There is a lump in your palm you want identified
- ✓A finger is drawing into the palm without catching
- ✓Symptoms do not fit the usual trigger finger pattern
- ✓You want to know what is there before an injection or surgery
- ✓Swelling around the tendons that has not settled
And when it is not the right booking
You have classic trigger finger and no doubt about it — the diagnosis is clinical and a scan usually adds nothing. Your GP can refer you for treatment directly.
You suspect a fracture or joint damage — bone is an X-ray question, and we do not offer X-ray.
The finger is hot, red and severely painful — that needs same-day hospital assessment for infection, not a booked scan.
If a hand ultrasound is not the right test for you, we will say so before you book — not after.
What happens on the day
- 1
Arrive — no preparation neededNothing to fast for. The appointment is 30 minutes.
- 2
Show us the fingerWhich one, what it does, and when it is worst. If it catches only sometimes, tell us what provokes it.
- 3
Scanning at restWarm gel and a small high-frequency transducer over the tendon, pulley and sheath.
- 4
Watching it moveYou bend and straighten the finger while we scan, so the catching can be seen as it happens rather than inferred.
- 5
Lumps characterisedAny nodule or lump in the palm assessed and identified — cyst, ganglion, or something solid needing a different opinion.
- 6
Findings explained on screenYou see what we see during the scan, with the written report usually with you within two hours.
Understanding trigger finger
A mechanical problem, and why it is worst first thing.
The tendon and the pulley
Flexor tendons run through narrow tunnels held by pulleys. When the tendon thickens or the first pulley narrows, the tendon no longer glides — it catches, then releases with a snap.
Why mornings are worst
Fluid accumulates in the sheath overnight and the hand is unused, so the first movements meet the most resistance. It typically eases as the finger is worked through the day.
What else it might be
A finger drawing into the palm with a firm cord and no catching is Dupuytren’s, not trigger finger. Swollen painful joints across several fingers may be inflammatory. Both need different treatment, and both look different on a scan.
What your report might say
We do not inject or operate. If your finger needs a steroid injection or a surgical release, that goes to your GP or a hand specialist — our report gives them the detail to plan from.
See the mechanism, not just the finger
Tendon, pulley and any palm lump assessed with the finger watched in motion — explained on screen as we scan, with your report usually within two hours.
How we scan hands
Scanned by the person reporting it
The sonographer who scans you writes your report. Nothing goes to a remote reader.
Watched in motion
The catching is seen as it happens. That is the whole advantage of ultrasound in the hand.
Honest about necessity
If your trigger finger is clear-cut, we will say a scan probably adds nothing rather than take the booking.
Lumps named properly
A palm lump is characterised as cyst, ganglion or solid — not left as an unexplained finding.
Hand ultrasound — your questions answered
Do I need a scan to diagnose trigger finger?
Will trigger finger go away on its own?
Why is it worse in the morning?
Is it caused by typing?
Can it affect the thumb?
What if my finger is bending into the palm but not catching?
Can you identify a lump in my palm?
Can you inject it for me?
Do I need a GP referral?
When will I get my report?
Other MSK scans we offer
Median nerve, tendon sheaths and ganglion cysts assessed.
See the scan →
ElbowElbow Ultrasound Scan
Tennis elbow, golfers elbow and the ulnar nerve.
See the scan →
All MSKAll MSK Scans
The full range of musculoskeletal ultrasound we offer.
See scans →
Further reading: trigger finger — why it catches and wrist pain and hand numbness.
Where can you get a hand ultrasound in London?
Our clinic is at 5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington, London W8 4ED — a quiet mews three minutes on foot from Notting Hill Gate, serving Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Bayswater and central London.
Short-notice appointments are often available, including for people facing a long wait elsewhere. Call 0203 051 6506 for today’s availability.
Getting here
By tube: Notting Hill Gate — three minutes’ walk.
By bus: Routes along Notting Hill Gate and Kensington Church Street stop nearby.
By car: On-street parking nearby — full options in directions & parking.
Watched in motion, explained clearly
Tendon, pulley and any palm lump assessed with the finger moving — explained on screen as we scan, with the written report usually within two hours for your GP or hand surgeon.
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.
Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — over 20 years’ experience in NHS and private ultrasound · Reviewed 10 August 2026