“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka bets you have. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows
that Sitka back pain patients many times would
like to see the source of their pain. (They already believe
their pain!) Currently, imaging doesn’t 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 what’s
going on. But Sitka back pain patients can believe that
their Sitka 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 reducing 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 hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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 pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for
Sitka back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Sitka chiropractor typically.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka totally gets
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing while imaging is a lot more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an extra
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 diagnose the back
pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2)
That is 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 depend on imaging to ascertain its
severity. Specifically, a set
of researchers looked at the possibility of
how imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Sitka
back pain specialist at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka wants to be sure imaging is positively
contributory 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 necessary.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
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 Sitka chiropractic appointment at
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka believes in its relief. You can, too.