Methods for assessing spinal health and treatment effectiveness for spinal conditions in a patient via use of an ultrasonagraphic system are shown and described. The ultrasonagraphic system includes optical targets, a transducer probe, an optical tracker unit, an image processing system, a 3D ultrasound processor, and a display. The methods include attaching optical targets to the patients body detecting locations of the optical targets on the patient detecting a location of the transducer probe moving the transducer probe over at least a portion of the patients body to collect spinal image data generating 3D image data sending 3D image data to the image processing system processing 3D image data displaying a real-time 3D image of the one or more vertebrae on the display to allow a healthcare provider to assess spinal health and treatment effectiveness based on the displayed real-time 3D image.
