“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC understands
that La Grande back pain patients many times would
like to see the source of their pain. (They already believe
their pain!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the source
if it’s due to an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in meeting a patient’s desire to see what’s
going on. But La Grande back pain patients can believe that
their La Grande chiropractor will thoroughly tell
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to alleviate
that pain.
THE GOOD OF IMAGING
Imaging recommendations today
are all about decreasing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific indications,
decreasing radiation dose and performing more MRI
than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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 a month during which time 50% improvement is sought. If a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win scenarios for
La Grande back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
La Grande chiropractor typically.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC totally gets
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing while imaging is a lot more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an extra
layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and does not
always have a glaring cause 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 likely why patients and their healthcare
providers want MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept
of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine is more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example,
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 La Grande
back pain specialist at Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ ultimate
recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when needed.
CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
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 La Grande chiropractic appointment at
Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC to more fully comprehend your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or
not because you certainly already believe you
have pain. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC believes in its relief. You can, too.