“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc bets you have. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc understands
that Fort Wayne back pain patients often wish to see the cause of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Today, imaging doesn’t always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the source
if it’s the result of an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see the cause. But Fort Wayne back pain patients can believe that
their Fort Wayne chiropractor will thoroughly tell
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease
that pain.
THE GOOD OF IMAGING
Today’s imaging recommendations
are all about reducing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific findings,
reducing radiation dose and performing more MRI
than CT. These changes in turn decrease the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc 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 positive scenarios for
Fort Wayne back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Fort Wayne chiropractor typically.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc totally gets
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 added
layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and doesn’t
always have an obvious cause for the pain. The
public and patients believe imaging helps diagnose the back
pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2)
That is probably 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 issues. Today, medicine becomes more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance,
treating physicians rely on imaging to ascertain its
severity. Particularly, a group
of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Fort Wayne
back pain specialist at Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ ultimate
recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when necessary.
CONTACT Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc
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 Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment at
Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc 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. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc believes in its relief. You can, too.