“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Spine & Sports Rehab Center bets you have. Spine & Sports Rehab Center knows
that Baton Rouge back pain patients often wish to see the cause of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Currently, imaging does
not always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the cause
if it’s due to an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in meeting a patient’s desire to see the cause. But Baton Rouge back pain patients can believe that
their Baton Rouge chiropractor will thoroughly explain to
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to alleviate
that pain.
THE GOOD OF IMAGING
Imaging recommendations today
seem to be all about decreasing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by careful
examination of low back pain patients for more specific findings,
decreasing radiation dose and performing more MRI
than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Spine & Sports Rehab Center has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which suggests 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 a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive scenarios for
Baton Rouge back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Baton Rouge chiropractor most of the time.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Spine & Sports Rehab Center totally gets
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing while imaging is much more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an added
layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and doesn’t
always have a glaring cause 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’s likely why patients and their healthcare
providers like MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the idea
of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine becomes more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance,
treating physicians depend on imaging to determine 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 good points. Your Baton Rouge
back pain specialist at Spine & Sports Rehab 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 necessary.
CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab 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 Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment at
Spine & Sports Rehab 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. Spine & Sports Rehab Center believes in its relief. You can, too.