“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Chiropractic Solutions bets you have. Chiropractic Solutions understands
that San Jose back pain patients many times would
like to see the source 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 is the result of 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 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 alleviate
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 findings,
decreasing radiation dose and doing more MRI
than CT. These efforts in turn reduce 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 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 a month goes by 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 most of the time.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Chiropractic Solutions totally gets
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 added
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 diagnose the back
pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2)
That is probably 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 is more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance,
treating physicians rely on imaging to determine its
severity. Particularly, a group
of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. 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 know that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when needed.
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how
useful 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.