Hollstrom & Associates Inc Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard that saying before? Hollstrom & Associates Inc bets you have. Hollstrom & Associates Inc knows that Largo back pain patients often 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 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 meeting a patient’s desire to see the cause. But Largo back pain patients can believe that their Largo chiropractor will thoroughly tell them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to alleviate that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Today’s imaging recommendations are all about reducing imaging exposure and cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by careful examination of low back pain patients for more specific findings, reducing radiation dose and doing more MRI than CT. These efforts in turn decrease the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Hollstrom & Associates Inc 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 positive situations for Largo back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Largo chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Hollstrom & Associates Inc totally understands 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 additional layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and doesn’t always have a glaring reason 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 is probably 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 issues. 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 set of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your Largo back pain specialist at Hollstrom & Associates Inc wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when needed.

CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc

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

Schedule your Largo chiropractic appointment at Hollstrom & Associates Inc 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. Hollstrom & Associates Inc believes in its relief. You can, too.