MRIs are cool.
They show
some great images of the body. Chiropractors like
looking at spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is your
Vancouver chiropractor’s realm! Vancouver Spine Care Centre appreciates
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 decide whether a
surgical or non-surgical approach is appropriate for back pain relief? Read on for the most recent
news.
The Usefulness
of MRI
When a
Vancouver patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain
symptoms denote the need for an MRI,
Vancouver Spine Care Centre orders one for such a Vancouver
back pain patient. MRI may add to your
Vancouver chiropractor’s clinical knowledge
of the condition oftentimes (but not always!). Pre-treatment and post-MRI studies
are intriguing. Did the disc herniation shrink
now that the pain left? Vancouver
chiropractic patients will often ask that of Vancouver Spine Care Centre. And researchers
will study MRIs for their research studies on just such
a query.
The Curiosity
of MRI
Researchers aren’t the only ones who curiously study
MRI images of low back pain sufferers to ascertain if there is any connection
between pain and no pain and the MRI pre and post treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Vancouver Spine Care Centre knows our Vancouver back pain patients wonder!
In noticing
that doctors and patients find MRI images a
curiosity when there is back pain and leg pain, a group of
researchers planned 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 determine whether to do back surgery now or
stay the course with conservative care. Vancouver Spine Care Centre and the
Vancouver chiropractic low back pain patients we treat would
love such a simple indicator! 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 – suggested a satisfactory outcome with either form
of care. Another interesting finding: the size of the disc herniation at the
beginning of care didn’t affect the outcome. The two groups revealed significant difference in outcomes between the two groups
– surgical and conservative. (1) Vancouver Spine Care Centre sees similar
reports more and more 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% versus 61% surgical versus non-surgical for
sciatica (3).
Vancouver Spine Care Centre
Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation
Vancouver Spine Care Centre
encourages you to make a Vancouver chiropractic
appointment today. Trust Vancouver Spine Care Centre to provide evidence-based chiropractic
care that relieves your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together,
we can create a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!)
treatment plan to lessen your back pain.
Schedule your
Vancouver 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."