MRIs are cool.
They show
some great images of the body. Chiropractors like
looking at spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is where chiropractors like
your Manchester chiropractor live day in and day out. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries values
the MRI image study for what it is: a tool.
But MRIs are not always a clinical necessity. Can MRI help determine whether to use non-surgical care or
surgical care for back pain relief? Read on for the most recent
news.
The Usefulness
of MRI
When a
Manchester patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain
symptoms signal the need for an MRI,
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries arranges one for such a Manchester
back pain patient. MRI may enhance your
Manchester chiropractor’s clinical understanding
of the condition oftentimes (but not always!). Pre-treatment and post-MRI studies
are intriguing. Did the disc herniation shrink
now that the pain disappeared? Manchester
chiropractic patients will often ask that of Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries. And researchers
will study MRIs for their research studies on just such
a query.
The Curiosity
of MRI
Researchers are
not the only ones who curiously examine
MRI images of low back pain sufferers to see if there is any connection
between pain and no pain and the MRI pre and post treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries knows our Manchester back pain patients wonder!
Knowing
that doctors and patients find MRI images a
curiosity when there is back pain and leg pain, a group of
researchers set out to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment
outcomes in patients who had a herniated lumbar disc with sciatica. They speculated whether MRI could help determine whether to do back surgery now or
stay the course with conservative care. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries and the
Manchester 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 – suggested a satisfactory outcome with either form
of care. Another interesting finding: the size of the disc herniation at the
beginning of caredid not affect the outcome. The two groups revealed significant difference in outcomes between them
– surgical and conservative. (1) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries sees similar
reports more and more in the back pain research. Remember 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% vs. 53% non-surgical versus surgical for
back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% vs. 61% surgical versus non-surgical for
sciatica (3).
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
asks you to make a Manchester chiropractic
appointment today. Trust Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries 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
Manchester 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."