Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard that saying before? Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic bets you have. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic understands that Montreal back pain patients many times would like to see the cause of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the source if it’s because of 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 Montreal back pain patients can believe that their Montreal chiropractor will thoroughly tell them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Imaging recommendations today are 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, decreasing radiation dose and performing more MRI than CT. These efforts in turn reduce the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Dr. Hoang's 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 30 days pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win scenarios for Montreal back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Montreal chiropractor most of the time.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic totally understands this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and drawings are one thing while imaging is much more personal. When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an extra layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and doesn’t always have a glaring cause 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 likely why patients and their healthcare providers like MRI and xrays.

MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING

Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the idea of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example, treating physicians rely on imaging to determine its severity. Particularly, a group of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Montreal back pain specialist at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ ultimate recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when necessary.

CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how valuable imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final outcome of care.

Schedule your Montreal chiropractic appointment at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic to more fully comprehend your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you definitely already believe you have pain. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic believes in its relief. You can, too.