Regional pain syndromes (RPS) are common complaints in clinical rheumatological practice. Ultrasound (US) allows a detailed assessment of soft tissue involvement and its use may have considerable impact on the management of RPS. The present review provides an update of the available data about US imaging in RPS together with research issues relating to periarticular soft tissue pathology. The research agenda covers: definition of standard scanning protocols for US examination of the most common RPS assessed by the rheumatologist and the clinical impact of US findings in the management of patients with RPS.