“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center bets you have. Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center understands
that Pensacola back pain patients many times wish to see the cause of their pain. (They already believe
their pain!) Today, imaging does
not always meet a patient’s desire to see the cause
if it’s the result of an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material leaks out to a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see what’s
going on. But Pensacola back pain patients can believe that
their Pensacola chiropractor will thoroughly explain to
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease
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 doing more MRI
than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Pensacola Spinal Rehab 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 30 days goes by without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for
Pensacola back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Pensacola chiropractor typically.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center totally understands
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 additional
layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and doesn’t
always have an obvious 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 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 instance,
treating physicians rely on imaging to determine its
severity. Specifically, a set
of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Pensacola
back pain specialist at Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center 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 contributes to the treatment plan when needed.
CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how
valuable imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final
outcome of care.
Schedule your Pensacola chiropractic appointment at
Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center to more fully comprehend your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or
not because you certainly already believe you
have pain. Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center believes in its relief. You can, too.