Layden Chiropractic Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard that saying before? Layden Chiropractic bets you have. Layden Chiropractic knows that Plainville back pain patients many times want to see the cause of their pain. (They already believe their pain!) Today, imaging doesn’t always meet a patient’s desire to see the cause if it is because of an issue like chemical irritation when disc material leaks out to a nerve root, so imaging can only go so far in meeting a patient’s desire to see the cause. But Plainville back pain patients can believe that their Plainville chiropractor will thoroughly explain to them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to alleviate that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Imaging recommendations today 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 performing more MRI than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Layden 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 a month during which time 50% improvement is sought. If 30 days goes by without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for Plainville back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Plainville chiropractor most of the time.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Layden Chiropractic totally understands 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 extra layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and does not always have an obvious 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 concept of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example, treating physicians rely on imaging to ascertain the severity of it. Specifically, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Plainville back pain specialist at Layden Chiropractic 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 needed.

CONTACT Layden Chiropractic

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 Plainville chiropractic appointment at Layden Chiropractic 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. Layden Chiropractic believes in its relief. You can, too.