“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Novelli Wellness Center knows
that Orchard Park, NY back pain patients often want to see the cause of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Today, imaging doesn’t always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the cause
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 meeting a patient’s desire to see what’s
going on. But Orchard Park, NY back pain patients can believe that
their Orchard Park, NY 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
seem to be all about reducing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by careful
examination of low back pain patients for more specific findings,
decreasing radiation dose and doing 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. Novelli Wellness Center has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which recommends 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 a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive situations for
Orchard Park, NY back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Orchard Park, NY chiropractor most of the time.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Novelli Wellness Center totally gets
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing while imaging is much more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an added
layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and doesn’t
always have a glaring cause 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 like MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept
of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine is more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance,
treating physicians depend on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a group
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 positives. Your Orchard Park, NY
back pain specialist at Novelli Wellness Center wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final
recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when necessary.
CONTACT Novelli Wellness Center
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 Orchard Park, NY chiropractic appointment at
Novelli Wellness Center to more fully comprehend your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or
not because you definitely already believe you
have pain. Novelli Wellness Center believes in its relief. You can, too.