MRIs are fascinating.
MRIs display pretty pictures of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is where chiropractors like
your Richmond chiropractor live day in and day out. Johnson Chiropractic values
the MRI image study for what it is: a a piece of the diagnostic puzzle.
But MRIs are not always clinically necessary. Can MRI help determine whether to use non-surgical care or
surgical care for back pain relief? Read on for the most recent
news.
The Usefulness
of MRI
When a
Richmond patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain
symptoms signal the demand for an MRI,
Johnson Chiropractic orders one for such a Richmond
back pain patient. MRI may supplement your
Richmond chiropractor’s clinical knowledge
of the condition oftentimes (but not always!). Pre-treatment and post-MRI images
are interesting. Did the disc herniation shrink
now that the pain disappeared? Richmond
chiropractic patients will often ask that of Johnson Chiropractic. And researchers
will study MRIs for their research studies on just such
a query.
The Curiosity
of MRI
Researchers are
not the only ones who curiously study
MRI images of low back pain sufferers to check if there is any connection
between pain and no pain and the MRI at the beginning
and end of treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Johnson Chiropractic knows our Richmond back pain patients wonder!
In noticing
that doctors and patients dealing with back pain like MRIs, a group of
researchers set out to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment
outcomes in patients with sciatic
leg pain due to a herniated lumbar disc. They speculated whether MRI could help decide whether to do back surgery now or
stay the course with conservative care. Johnson Chiropractic and the
Richmond chiropractic low back pain patients we care for would
love such a simple guide! Study participants were
randomized to surgery or prolonged conservative care. Two findings – a disc
extrusion and nerve root compression on MRI in patients with less severe leg
pain – indicated a satisfactory outcome with either form
of care. Another interesting finding: the size of the disc herniation at the
beginning of caredid not affect the outcome. There
was no significant difference in outcomes between them
– surgical and conservative. (1) Johnson Chiropractic sees similar
reports increasingly in the back pain research. Recall the Atlas studies of
surgical and non-surgical interventions for back pain and sciatica? There was
not much variation in those landmark
studies either: 50% versus 53% non-surgical vs. surgical for
back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% vs. 61% surgical vs. non-surgical for
sciatica (3).
Johnson Chiropractic
Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation
Johnson Chiropractic
asks you to make a Richmond chiropractic
appointment today. Trust Johnson Chiropractic to provide evidence-based chiropractic
care that alleviates your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together,
we can create a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!)
treatment plan to reduce your back pain.
Schedule your
Richmond chiropractic appointment today.
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."