“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard
that saying before? Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre bets you have. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows
that Toronto back pain patients many times wish to see the source of their pain. (They already believe
their pain!) Currently, 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 what’s
going on. But Toronto back pain patients can believe that
their Toronto 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
seem to be 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 doing more MRI
than CT. These efforts in turn decrease the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If 30 days pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive scenarios for
Toronto back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Toronto chiropractor typically.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre totally gets
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing, but imaging is a lot 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 reason 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’s probably why patients and their healthcare
providers like MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the idea
of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine becomes more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example,
treating physicians rely on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a group
of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Toronto
back pain specialist at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre wants to be sure imaging is positively
contributory 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 needed.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how
useful imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final
outcome of care.
Schedule your Toronto chiropractic appointment at
Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre to more fully comprehend your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or
not because you definitely already believe you
have pain. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre believes in its relief. You can, too.