Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic understands that Augusta back pain patients many times would like to see the source of their pain. (They already believe their pain!) Today, imaging doesn’t always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the cause if it is the result of an issue like chemical irritation when disc material leaks out to a nerve root, so imaging can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see what’s going on. But Augusta back pain patients can believe that their Augusta chiropractor will thoroughly explain to them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease 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 carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific findings, reducing radiation dose and performing more MRI than CT. These efforts in turn reduce the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic 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 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for Augusta back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Augusta chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic totally understands this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and drawings are one thing, but imaging is much more personal. When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an additional layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and does not always have a glaring reason 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 is probably 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 becomes 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 considered the possibility that imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Augusta back pain specialist at Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic 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 needed.

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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 Augusta chiropractic appointment at Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic to understand your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or not because you definitely already believe you have pain. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic believes in its relief. You can, too.