Chiropractic Reduces Disc Herniation Related Pain Often Without MRI

MRIs are fascinating. MRIs display impressive pictures of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is where chiropractors like your Largo chiropractor live day in and day out. Hollstrom & Associates Inc values the MRI image study for what it is: a tool. But MRIs are not always clinically necessary. Can MRI help determine whether a surgical or non-surgical approach is appropriate for back pain relief? Read on for the most recent news.

The Usefulness of MRI

When a Largo patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain symptoms denote the demand for an MRI, Hollstrom & Associates Inc arranges one for such a Largo back pain patient. MRI may enhance your Largo chiropractor’s clinical understanding of the condition oftentimes (but not always!).  Pre-treatment and post-MRI studies are interesting. Did the disc herniation shrink now that the pain is gone? Largo chiropractic patients will often ask that of Hollstrom & Associates Inc. And researchers will study MRIs for their research studies on just such a query.

The Curiosity of MRI

Researchers aren’t the only ones who curiously examine MRI images of low back pain sufferers to see if there is any correlation between pain and no pain and the MRI pre and post treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Hollstrom & Associates Inc knows our Largo back pain patients wonder!

In noticing that doctors and patients dealing with back pain like MRIs, some researchers set out to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment outcomes in patients with sciatic leg pain due to a herniated lumbar disc. They speculated whether MRI could help decide whether to do back surgery now or stay the course with conservative care. Hollstrom & Associates Inc and the Largo 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 – indicated a satisfactory outcome with either form of care. Another noteworthy finding:  the size of the disc herniation at the beginning of caredid not affect the outcome. There was no significant difference in outcomes between them – surgical and conservative. (1) Hollstrom & Associates Inc sees similar reports more and more in the back pain research.  Recall 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% versus 53% non-surgical vs. surgical for back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% versus 61% surgical versus non-surgical for sciatica (3).

Hollstrom & Associates Inc Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation

Hollstrom & Associates Inc asks you to make a Largo chiropractic appointment today. Trust Hollstrom & Associates Inc to provide evidence-based chiropractic care that relieves your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together, we can create a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!) treatment plan to reduce your back pain.

Schedule your Largo chiropractic appointment now.