Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation knows that Tonawanda back pain patients many times wish to see the cause of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Today, imaging does not always satisfy 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 Tonawanda back pain patients can believe that their Tonawanda chiropractor will thoroughly explain to them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Today’s imaging recommendations are all about decreasing imaging exposure and cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific indications, decreasing radiation dose and doing more MRI than CT. These efforts in turn decrease the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation 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 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If 30 days goes by without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win scenarios for Tonawanda back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Tonawanda chiropractor most of the time.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation totally understands this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and drawings are one thing, but imaging is a lot more personal. When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an extra layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and does not always have an obvious cause for the pain. The public and patients believe imaging helps diagnose the back pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2) That’s probably why patients and their healthcare providers like MRI and xrays.

MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING

Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance, treating physicians depend on imaging to ascertain the severity of it. Specifically, a group of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Tonawanda back pain specialist at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when necessary.

CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how valuable imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final outcome of care.

Schedule your Tonawanda chiropractic appointment at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation to understand your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you definitely already believe you have pain. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation believes in its relief. You can, too.