“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Minster Chiropractic Center bets you have. Minster Chiropractic Center understands
that Minster back pain patients often want to see the source of their pain. (They already believe
their pain!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the source
if it’s the result of an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see the cause. But Minster back pain patients can believe that
their Minster chiropractor will thoroughly tell
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease
that pain.
THE GOOD OF IMAGING
Today’s imaging recommendations
seem to be all about reducing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific indications,
reducing radiation dose and performing more MRI
than CT. These efforts in turn decrease the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Minster Chiropractic Center has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which recommends holding off on imaging (in the absence of "red flags" which a thorough clinical examination finds) for a month during which time 50% improvement is sought. If a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive situations for
Minster back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Minster chiropractor most of the time.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Minster Chiropractic Center totally understands
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing, but imaging is much more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an additional
layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and does not
always have a glaring reason for the pain. The
public and patients believe imaging helps determine the back
pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2)
That is likely why patients and their healthcare
providers want MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the idea
of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine becomes more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example,
treating physicians depend on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a group
of researchers looked at the possibility of
how imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Minster
back pain specialist at Minster Chiropractic Center wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final
recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when needed.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how
useful imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final
outcome of care.
Schedule your Minster chiropractic appointment at
Minster Chiropractic Center to understand your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or
not because you definitely already believe you
have pain. Minster Chiropractic Center believes in its relief. You can, too.