Chiropractic Reduces Disc Herniation Related Pain Often Without MRI

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.