Back Pain Imaging and Exercise

February 15, 2024

Spinal imaging shows us much about a Concord, NC back pain and leg pain sufferers’ condition. Imaging must be carefully considered, of course, for what it shows as well as the way various imaging methods compare to others. Pure Chiropractic welcomes all the input from you, the Concord, NC back pain patient, as well as your imaging and examination testing findings to individualize your Concord, NC chiropractic treatment plan for pain relief.

DISC HERNIATION AND Concord, NC BACK PAIN

Disc herniation and leg and/or back pain seem to come together, too, but so much more may be incorporated: disc degeneration, annulus fibrosus rupture, irritation and compression of nerve roots and cauda equina from the herniation itself. A newer study tracked the effects of exercise on a disc herniation’s neuromechanical compression, its inflammatory chemical stimulation, and its autoimmune response. (1) Imaging demonstrates nice pictures of the disc herniation…that Pure Chiropractic associates with your symptomatology!

BACK PAIN AND IMAGING

Back pain and imaging tend to go together. When someone experiences back pain, xrays, CTs, and MRIs come to mind. Just what do these display? A study compared images of back pain patients to asymptomatic persons. MR imaging of those with back pain showed that a variety of measurements differed: anteroposterior diameter measures of the vertebral canal varied, transverse diameter was smaller, and thecal sac area was smaller. (2) Caution is warranted in comparing neuroforaminal measurements from CT scans and plain film as a study found that in patients without back pain plain film measurements were bigger compared to those on CT. (3) Another imaging finding your Concord, NC chiropractor is quite aware of is called Modic change. It’s another imaging finding that is quite revealing in that Modic change (mainly type II) is related with abdominal aortic calcification via a lower blood supply or even poorer systemic vascularization due to atherosclerotic disease. (4) It’s another insight we can use to determine what’s going on in your spine. Finally, a spinal imaging finding that is quite usual in back pain patients is fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles, more so in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. (5) We look for that on MRI images though it’s hard to not see! Another good reason to begin a good spinal exercise program!

EXERCISE & SPINE PAIN RELIEF

Exercise may be quite effective in managing the lumbar disc herniation which is why Pure Chiropractic incorporates some simple lumbar spine exercises to start on day one. We encourage our back pain patients to continue performing these simple exercises and are happy to support anyone who wants to do more...after we talk!

CONTACT Pure Chiropractic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Lee Hazen  on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates a case of degenerative spondylolisthesis that responded well to treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Concord, NC chiropractic appointment now to visit us! Whether you have spinal imaging already or need it, your Concord, NC chiropractor can help make sense of its significance in your path to back pain relief.

Concord, NC back pain imaging and exercise