MRIs are fascinating.
MRIs display pretty pictures of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is your
Baton Rouge chiropractor’s realm! Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation values
the MRI image study for what it is: a tool.
But MRIs are not always a clinical necessity. Can MRI help determine whether a
surgical or non-surgical approach is appropriate for back pain relief? Read on for the latest
findings.
The Usefulness
of MRI
When a
Baton Rouge patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain
symptoms denote the need for an MRI,
Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation arranges one for such a Baton Rouge
back pain patient. MRI may add to your
Baton Rouge chiropractor’s clinical understanding
of the condition oftentimes (but not always!). Pre-treatment and post-MRI studies
are interesting. Did the disc herniation shrink
now that the pain is gone? Baton Rouge
chiropractic patients will often ask that of Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation. And researchers
will consider MRIs for their research studies on just such
a question.
The Curiosity
of MRI
Researchers are
not 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 at the beginning
and end of treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation is
well aware that our Baton Rouge 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 if MRI is of value in
determining how treatment outcomes will be for 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. Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation and the
Baton Rouge chiropractic low back pain patients we care for would
love such a simple indicator! Study participants were randomly
sent to surgical care or a course of 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 noteworthy 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) Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation 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 wasn’t much difference in those landmark
studies either: 50% versus 53% non-surgical versus surgical for
back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% versus 61% surgical vs. non-surgical for
sciatica (3).
Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation
Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation
Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation
invites you to make a Baton Rouge chiropractic
appointment today. Trust Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation to provide evidence-based chiropractic
care that relieves your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together,
we can set a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!)
treatment plan to reduce your back pain.
Schedule your
Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment now.
"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."