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Chiropractic Reduces Disc Herniation Related Pain Often Without MRI

MRIs are fascinating. MRIs display pretty pictures of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is your New Roads chiropractor’s realm! New Roads Chiropractic Center appreciates the MRI image study for what it is: a a piece of the diagnostic puzzle. But MRIs are not always a clinical necessity. Can MRI help decide whether a surgical or non-surgical approach is appropriate for back pain relief? Read on for the latest news.

The Usefulness of MRI

When a New Roads patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain symptoms indicate the demand for an MRI, New Roads Chiropractic Center orders one for such a New Roads back pain patient. MRI may enhance your New Roads chiropractor’s clinical knowledge of the condition oftentimes (but not always!).  Pre-treatment and post-MRI images are interesting. Did the disc herniation reduce now that the pain disappeared? New Roads chiropractic patients will often ask that of New Roads Chiropractic Center. 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 look at 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. New Roads Chiropractic Center knows our New Roads back pain patients wonder!

In noticing that doctors and patients dealing with back pain like MRIs, a group of researchers planned to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment outcomes in patients who had a herniated lumbar disc with sciatica. They questioned if MRI could help decide whether to do back surgery now or stay the course with conservative care. New Roads Chiropractic Center and the New Roads chiropractic low back pain patients we care for would love such a simple indicator! Study participants were randomized to surgery or prolonged conservative care. Two findings – a disc extrusion and nerve root compression on MRI in patients with less severe leg pain – signified a satisfactory outcome with either type of care. Another noteworthy 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) New Roads Chiropractic Center 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 difference in those classic studies either: 50% vs. 53% non-surgical vs. surgical for back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% versus 61% surgical vs. non-surgical for sciatica (3).

New Roads Chiropractic Center Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation

New Roads Chiropractic Center invites you to make a New Roads chiropractic appointment today. Trust New Roads Chiropractic Center 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 alleviate your back pain.

Schedule your New Roads chiropractic appointment today.

 
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"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."