Pure Chiropractic Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Pure Chiropractic understands that Concord, NC back pain patients often want to see the source of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Today, imaging doesn’t always meet a patient’s desire to see the cause 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 the cause. But Concord, NC back pain patients can believe that their Concord, NC 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 seem to be 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. Pure Chiropractic 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 30 days goes by without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for Concord, NC back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Concord, NC chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Pure Chiropractic 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 a glaring reason 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 issues. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance, treating physicians rely on imaging to ascertain the severity of it. Particularly, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Concord, NC back pain specialist at Pure Chiropractic wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ ultimate recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when necessary.

CONTACT Pure Chiropractic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how useful imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final outcome of care.

Schedule your Concord, NC chiropractic appointment at Pure Chiropractic to understand your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you certainly already believe you have pain. Pure Chiropractic believes in its relief. You can, too.