Tests – what are they good for?
When it comes to back pain tests, of
MRIs that question must be asked. What are MRIs good
for when the percentage
of constructive, influential MRI studies is so little?
False positive MRI results distress those who receive
these results. They inspire fear or caution where it
is not always needed. MRIs like this blur the
proper treatment plan. They cost quite a bit.
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka carefully evaluates the necessity of
MRI in the Sitka chiropractic treatment plan of Sitka
back pain relief.
MEDICINE’S VIEW
MRI interpretations by
radiologists often differ.
The true-positive finding rate was 56.4%, and the miss-rate was 43.6%. (1)
MRI imaging may produce misleading suspicion. When
following the guidelines of the American College of Radiology, 93% of lumbar
spine MRIs were proper. Of those, only 13% found
anything suspicious. Of the 36 MRIs that provoked
suspicion of cancer or infection, 81% were false-positive. 59% of the follow-up
MRIs on those suspicious findings were false positives. (2) MRI imaging may mislead.
For example, MRI shows that the presence of
disc degeneration in asymptomatic persons – persons with no back pain – grows
with age: 37% in 20 year olds and 96% in
80 year olds; disc bulges: 30% to 84%; disc protrusion: 29% to 43%; annular
fissures 19% to 29%. These imaging findings suggest that
these are signs of normal aging. They remind all doctors, remind chiropractors
like yours at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka, to compare all such
findings to patient symptoms. (1,3) Your Sitka
chiropractor does this!
CHIROPRACTIC’S VIEW
Choosing Wisely guidelines for American chiropractors suggest30
not repeating spinal imaging and not obtaining spinal imaging for
patients with acute low back pain in the first 6 weeks of back pain (except when “red flags” are present– issues that suggest
something more worrisome). (4) A review of the efficacy
of the Canadian Choosing Wisely recommendations for imaging nonspecific spinal
pain and symptoms reported that there is very low risk of missing
a serious cause of back pain. (5) The purpose
of guidelines is less imaging, fewer false positives. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka wants what’s
best for our Sitka chiropractic care patients.
COX® TECHNIC’S VIEW
Chiropractors like yours at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka study
all the symptoms, tests and images our Sitka chiropractic back
pain patients [[present on|bring with them39] their first Sitka
chiropractic visit. So many back pain patients present to
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka with MRI images already done.
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka will study them but will rely more on clinical exam findings and correlate them to what the MRI reveals.
A rule of thumb with the Cox Technic System of Back Pain Relief is to seek 50% decrease of back pain in the first month
of care before ordering more imaging or
testing or arranging surgical consultation. (6)
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on the Back Doctor’s Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes imaging for back pain in the program of treatment
for pain relief.
Schedule your Sitka chiropractic appointment
with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka today. Let’s explore together
the best path to Sitka back pain relief – with or without MRI
imaging!