Chiropractic Solutions Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Chiropractic Solutions knows that San Jose back pain patients many times wish to see the source of their pain. (They already believe their pain!) Today, imaging does not always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the source if it is because 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 San Jose back pain patients can believe that their San Jose 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 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 performing more MRI than CT. These changes in turn decrease the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Chiropractic Solutions 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 San Jose back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your San Jose chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Chiropractic Solutions 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 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 concept of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example, treating physicians rely on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your San Jose back pain specialist at Chiropractic Solutions 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 Chiropractic Solutions

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 San Jose chiropractic appointment at Chiropractic Solutions to more fully comprehend your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or not because you certainly already believe you have pain. Chiropractic Solutions believes in its relief. You can, too.